BEFORE THE HONORABLE BOARD 

O IT 

Government Engineers 


Gol. Wm. P. CflfllGHlIiIi, Presiding. 


In the Matter of the Location of a Deep-Water 
Harbor in San Pedro or Santa Monica Bays. 


£ 


Chamber of Commerce Rooms, Los Angeles, Cal.,) 
Thursday, September 8, 1892, 10 a.m.J 


Mr. C. M. Wells.—This meeting will please come to order. I will 
say, as a preliminary, that the meeting has been called at the suggestion 
of this Board of Engineers, and has been called in the rooms of the 
Chamber of Commerce because the Chamber of Commerce is repre¬ 
senting the general good of Southern California. And it is proper to 
say that, in this matter of selecting the best site for a harbor upon this 
coast at one- of the points named, the Chamber of Commerce is not 
taking a part; is not throwing its influence in favor of any one position 
as against another. Los Angeles City and the surrounding country 
desires a deep water harbor, and we all understand that it is the effort 
of these eminent engineering officers to determine which is the most 
suitable point for the construction of such a harbor, and where it can 
be constructed at the least cost. So that the Chamber of Commerce is 
simply aiding these engineers in collecting their information ; and that 
is what this meetings is for. Colonel Craighill, the President of the 
Board, will state to you in detail the kind of information he desires, 
and how he desires it presented ; and the meeting will be entirely under 
the direction of the Board of Engineers. It is not necessary to say 
anything further. We all know how anxious we are as a community, 
and how needful it is, to have a deep sea harbor of this kind, and the 
great benefits that will accrue to this section of the country from its 
construction. Gentlemen, this is Colonel Craighill, the President of 
the Board. 

Col. Wm. P. Craighill. —Gentlemen, the President of the Chamber 
of Commerce has already stated the object of the meeting, so that it is 
not necessary for me to do so. I will be much obliged to him, however, 
if he will read for me the law under which the Board is acting. 

Mr. Wells.— “The Secretary of War is hereby authorized and 
directed to appoint a Board of five engineering officers of the United 
States Army, whose duty it shall be to make a careful and critical exam¬ 
ination for a proposed deep-water harbor at San Pedro or Santa Monica 
bays, and to report as to which is the more eligible location for such 
harbor in depth, width and capacity to accommodate the largest ocean 
going vessels, and the commercial and naval necessities of the country, 
together with an estimate of the cost of the same. Said Board of 
Engineers shall report the result of its investigations to the Secretary 
of War on or before the first of November, 1892 ; and ten thousand 







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REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 

dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, are hereby appropri¬ 
ated for said purpose.” 

Col. Craighill.—You will observe, gentlemen, from the terms of the 
law, that there are two points of view from which this matter is to be 
investigated. One is the commercial point, and the other is the engin¬ 
eering point. Today, we wish first to take up the commercial aspect of 
the question ; that is to say, we will be glad, as the first object of inquiry, 
to have information which will guide us in coming to a conclusion as to 
the need of a harbor of refuge anywhere within the limits of San Pedro 
or Santa Monica bays. That is the first point of inquiry, and the gen¬ 
eral subject in which we are all interested. And, although you are 
strangers to me, I have no doubt that Los Angeles is particularly inter¬ 
ested, and is largely represented here. After discussing the general 
subject, there are some points with reference to the matter of engineer¬ 
ing about which we desire information from this assembly ; and that is, 
the character of the holding ground throughout these bays, the direc¬ 
tion of the wind and currents, and things of that sort which will have 
an influence upon us in coming to a decision as to this question. We 
will begin, then, by the discussion of the general subject; and, after 
that has been sufficiently reviewed, we will take up the separate locali¬ 
ties, in order. And I will take the liberty of designating the order in 
which their respective claims shall be presented. As San Pedro is the 
oldest place which has claims, we will hear first from San Pedro after 
the general discussion. Next we will take up Santa Monica ; and, third, 
Redondo ; and then any other points that may wish to present their 
claims. After these have been discussed before the Board, as some 
persons may wish to reply to others who have spoken, advocating 
special interests, we will go over these places again in the same order, 
so that every locality will have an opportunity to be heard twice and of 
replying to the others. Now, Mr. President, if you will indicate persons 
in succession, as they are all strangers to me, we will hear someone on 
the general topic of the need of a harbor in Santa Monica or San Pedro 
bays. 

Mr. Wells.—As I stated before, Colonel, the Chamber has laid out 
no program, and has not attempted to inform itself of what will be 
advanced here today. It has simply called on different localities to 
make their representations. And, therefore, the order of presentation 
will be entirely in your hands. If there is no objection, then, I will call 
for the general presentation of the subject by anyone who will volun¬ 
teer. The floor will be open now to anyone who wishes to talk upon 
that topic. 

Mr. Merick Reynolds.—Is Dr. Widney present? He is a speaker 
from the San Pedro point. 

Mr. J. P. Widney.—I was not aware, gentlemen, until my name was 
called, that I was to speak for San Pedro in this matter. But then I 
have the facts at my fingers’ ends— 

Mr. Wells.—Gentlemen, this is Dr. J P. Widney, who has given lots 
of time to the investigation of this question. 

Col. Craighill.—You understand, Doctor, we wish a discussion as to 
the general subject. 

Mr. Widney .—I was going to ask what you wished. 

Col. Craighill.—The needs of this coast for a harbor at either Santa 
Monica or San Pedro bays. 

Mr. Widney —Is there a large map here, gentlemen, and then I can 
show you what we desire ? 

Mr. Wells.—There is a large map, but it is out of reach. 

Mr. Widney.—You can see this. The first point is this : There is a 
large coastwise commerce between San Francisco and San Diego, a 
distance of four or five hundred miles, which hugs the coast closely, as 
the nearest line is along the coast and the prevailing wind is an on-shore 
wind. The winter storms, the southerly storms, are all shore storms. 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


3 


The vessels hug the coast line. They have no refuge, between San 
Diego and San Francisco, from a southerly gale during the winter. 
This fact endangers commerce greatly. They can run up to Catalina 
Island, but that compels them to leave their anchorage and go out to 
sea. This shows the importance of a harbor of refuge for our coast 
commerce. 

There is coming, however, or there is even now, a very heavy com¬ 
merce from abroad, a deep-sea commerce, in addition to the coast trade. 
That does not come to us from San Francisco, but from all parts of the 
world. The vessels come direct to these southern ports. They unload, 
and load, and go abroad again. During the winter these vessels have 
no shelter at any one of these points where they can lie at port. In the 
beginning of a gale they are exposed at San Pedro, as the wind gener¬ 
ally commences in the south, and that gives them the swell at that point. 
As the storm works around it works % into the west, and then Santa 
Monica gets the full force. So that a vessel has no protection at either 
point during a southerly storm in the winter, San Pedro getting the first 
of it; and, during the latter part of the gale, by reason of the wind 
veering around to the west, Santa Monica is exposed. Ther'e have 
been times when vessels at San Pedro have dragged from their anchor¬ 
age. There have been times when, during the latter part of the storm, 
the waves have been high enough to compel them to take their railroad 
trains off the wharf at Santa Monica for fear the wharf would be de¬ 
stroyed. That shows the way storms affect the two points. From the 
ordinary westerly winds of the summer all of these points of headlands 
give a certain amount of shelter, as at San Pedro and Santa Monica 
and Port Harford and at Santa Cruz. 

So much for the needs of the present commerce. This would justify 
the expenditure of a very fair amount of money, possibly amounting to 
many millions. 

Tnere is rapidly coming, however, gentlemen, a change for the bet¬ 
ter in the commerce of this coast. With the building of the Nicaragua 
canal the trade of the whole Pacific Coast will be revolutionized. As 
it is now, sailing vessels going around the Horn find it easier to go out 
into mid-Pacific and strike the trade winds and reach San Francisco 
from the Southern ports. That is the reason why San Francisco has 
remained for so long the metropolis of the coast. Vessels could make 
that point more easily. With the building of the Nicaragua canal this 
changes, and the commerce would be transported, as it is now through 
the canal of Suez, by means of propellers. These propellers, by reason 
of lighter draft, would hug the coast coming north. At present, if they 
want to reach us with freight, they go right past our ports; and, if they 
go to San Francisco, the freight has to be shipped back to us. With 
good harbor facilities those vessels could discharge here, while they 
cannot do so now, except during certain seasons of the year. 

Another fact. San Francisco lies opposite the highest point of the 
Sierra. They cross the Sierra, with the Central Pacific, at an elevation 
of about seven thousand feet. I have forgotten exactly what it is, but 
it is about that. Unfortunately for them, they lie opposite the highest 
point of the great backbone of the Sierra, while it drops in altitude 
going north and south. It is that fact that has forced the new railroads 
souih and north of San Francisco. They go north and strike the easy 
grades at Puget Sound; and the mountain range, coming south, drops 
off at San Diego. We cross here at an elevation of about 2560 feet, I 
think, at the San Luis Pass. These easier grades bring the roads south¬ 
ward. With the building of the Nicaragua canal these railroads afford 
quick and easy communication from our Southern California ports for 
the interior traffic. They flank the Sierra on the other side, and the 
supply ports for the whole of that interior of the country will be and 
should be, not San Francisco, but some one of these southern ports, 


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REPORT OF H.ARBOR MEETING 


where you have the shorter hauls for vessels coming from Nicaragua, 
and then shorter railroad lines and lower grades. 

Now, it is that commerce of the future rather than the present com¬ 
merce that we are anxious about; and that is the reason why it seems 
it would justify the Government in spending, not simply enough to 
accommodate our present local .coast commerce, but the commerce of 
the future, for the time is coming soon when the Government will need 
a good port on the coast of Southern California. The supply points of 
all these lands in the interior will be from some one of these Southern 
California ports. This lilts the project out of the ranks of mere local 
improvement into a great public improvement for national purposes. 
Some point more desirable than San Francisco will become necessary 
for Nevada and Utah and that great interior plateau to receive their 
supplies from, connected by shorter lines of railroad and having lower 
grades than is possible from San Francisco. It is this commerce we 
are anxious about as well as the present. We could get along for the 
present without a great deal of bettering of our accommodations, but 
the commerce of the future cannot be accommodated except with bet¬ 
ter water facilities than we have now. 

There is another thing: When that commerce comes to us it means 
that the vessels coming from the Nicaragua canal and other distant 
ports must have places to repair and re-equip. They cannot put freight 
right down in the surf and run it ashore; but it must be in sheltered 
water. It means a certain amount of ship building, as well as repairing, 
and all of these things must be accommodated. 

With regard to tne country immediately around here and back of 
us, I suppose you understand. It is a country that in the six southern 
counties of California will be a population within the next twenty or 
thiity years, running up to two or three millions. We have the country 
to support them and make them rich. We have, back of these low 
passes, the Arizona country and the Nevada country and Salt Lake, 
and they must all reach the coast at this point. 

For these reasons we think money should be put here, not only to 
make a local harbor but a deep-sea harbor. This will have to be one 
of the great shipping points of the United States. 

I believe, gentlemen, I have said all I desire on the deep-sea harbor 
question at this point. Anything with regard to the localities comes 
later on in the discussion. 

Col. Craighill.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Wells.—There is opportunity for others upon the same line, or 
other points which they may wish to present. 

Mr. J. de Barth Shorb.—Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Wells.—Mr. Shorb, gentlemen. 

Mr. Shorb.—I don’t know, Mr. Chairman, that I can add much to 
the remarks of Dr. Widney, who has preceded me. Of the necessity 
of a deep-sea harbor, possibly from a practical standpoint and surely 
from a personal one, I have a deeper interest than even Dr. Widney 
has. I have for years been the largest producer of wines and brandies 
in the southern country. It is a freight that necessarily requires low 
rates of transportation. The freight from the north, as Dr. Widney has 
remarked, has been largely made up of lumber, with a few other things, 
such as coal, which possibly may come in in another direction. I will 
simply say that so far as that one product is concerned, of all which is 
blended with the great prosperity of this country and which will finally 
cover all of the dry hills of this country, the wine industry possibly is the 
most prominent, and needs facilities for cheap transportation to market. 
I was offered in San Francisco, last August a year, a charter to Havre, 
France, for four cents a gallon. I presume you want a practical pre¬ 
sentation of this thing. I have been paving the railroads from ten to 
thirteen cents per gallon for transportation across the continent. France 
last year imported into her country not less than 288,000,000 gallons of 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


5 


wine, coming principally from Algeria, Spain and Italy. If you multiply 
288,000,000 gallons by ten pounds you have the enormous tonnage 
which that one product amounts to. I think I can venture to sav that 
it is greater in one year than all the tonnage that has been received here 
at San Pedro or Santa Monica. Commerce certainly is engendered in 
the wants and necessities of the many. 

Dr. Widney has very properly remarked that the day is coming when 
probably three or four millions of people will have congregated in and 
around the country tributary to this point. Now. so far as the general 
question is concerned, we want to be independent of San Francisco. 
We are entitled to it. The Government should have it. The harbor 
should be located, it seems to me, at a point where fortifications also 
could be built. Furthermore, I shall state that Governor Stanford him¬ 
self said one time in Sacramc-nto that, if the Government would permit 
him to finish the Southern Pacific railroad system, the Government 
might take the Central Pacific. They were rather tired of operating 
that road, because of the Sierra Nevadas. During further conversations 
with Governor Stanford, and also with Mr. Huntington, they both 
dwelt upon the necessities of having some harbor here where the freight 
might come direct from the Occident, be carried over their lower grades 
here in the south to some point on the Atlantic Ocean, and then shipped 
by a line of steamers to Europe. They are probably two of the great¬ 
est authorities I can quote as to the necessity of a harbor here at Wil¬ 
mington, or at Santa Monica, as the case may be. I don’t think I have 
anything more to offer, gentlemen. 

Mr. Wells.—Are there others to be heard on that topic? If there 
are no others who wish to occupy the time, I desire to allude to one 
phase which has not been touched upon. We know the Government 
has appropriated a large amount of money, or has promised to appro¬ 
priate a large amount of money, for the improvement of Galveston 
harbor. We in this community feel that the construction of this harbor 
on this coast will be the complement and fitting completion of the har¬ 
bor at Galveston, as it will make the shortest line of rail travel between 
the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Mexico within 
the United States territory that is possible, and over the lowest grades. 
We feel that with the construction of the harbor here that the money 
that has been appropriated for the construction of Galveston harbor 
will be in a greater degree available ; that it will be appropriated to a 
better purpose, and that it will contribute to build up that section of 
the country, and this section also. I allude to it simply that your 
minds may fasten upon the importance of connecting the two. 

Mr. Widney.—Mr. Chairman, I think there is a misunderstanding, 
slightly. The invitation was for San Pedro to speak, and I fear the 
others feel barred out. 

Mr. Wells.—I don’t think the topic was confined to any people. 

Mr. Widney.—I thought possibly they feared the floor was given to 
San Pedro. 

Col. Craighill.—The idea was after the general subject had been dis¬ 
cussed that each particular locality would have an opportunity to speak 
for itself, and I simply indicated San Pedro first because it is the oldest 
port that we know of in this section of the country, and proposed next 
to take Santa Monica, which has recently come to the front; and then 
Redondo, which I understand to be the youngest. We take them in 
point of age. If the general subject has now been exhausted we would 
be glad to hear from the San Pedro people. 

Mr. Widney—I don’t know, gentlemen, whether I shall speak again 
for you, or have you somebody else? 

Several.—Dr. Widney. 

Mr. Widney.—There was no program arranged beforehand, Mr. 
Chairman, and I had no knowledge I was to speak for the San Pedro 
people ; but it happens I have been in that work from the beginning. I 


6 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


believe I have prepared personally every document that has gone to 
Congress in nearly eighteen years, about that harbor, and have known 
all the engineers; so I have kept myself well posted about the harbor. 
It is not necessary to give the scientific facts, because those you get 
elsewhere. You will hardly depend on the newspapers or our state¬ 
ments here for the facts you want. 

Coh.Craighill.—We are here in the commercial aspect of the question 
of the necessity. 

Mr. Widney.—That is illustrated by an incident that occurred the 
other day of a gentleman making the statement about the anchorage at 
San Pedro and the shoaling; and I have the Government charts for 
thirty years that show no shoaling whatever. 

Coming to the commercial point, I shall speak of only one thing, as 
I think all the information you want on other branches is contained in 
the circular or the statements which will be filed with you in writing by 
the San Pedro people. There is one point alone, however, I shall speak 
upon. In looking to the accommodation of the commerce of the future 
it is a question of how much water frontage we shall need. It is not sim¬ 
ply a question of one mile or a th >usand feet, but what will accommodate 
the commerce of the future. In the reports made by the Board which 
examined this question about two years ago, they estimated — I cannot 
give the exact number of feet, because I loaned the copy which I had 
and it has not come back; otherwise I should have had it with me 
today. But they estimated about four to five thousand feet in length of 
breakwater at either San Pedro or Santa Monica, at a cost of about four 
millions of dollars. 

Now, the commerce to be accommodated is not simply a deep-water 
commerce. It is a shoal-water commerce as well; it is ship building, 
it is ship repairing; dock-yards; all of these things. Now, those 
industries must have shelter from the swell of the sea. We are utilizing 
at San Pedro today, the gentlemen inform me, between four and five 
thousand feet of water front, and we are using it all. The estimates for 
the breakwater at Santa Monica were for a breakwater of four to five 
thousand feet in length. It might be supposed that would shelter four 
or five thousand feet of water front; but my understanding is, however, 
that when you take a certain length of breakwater out about three- 
fourths of a mile to a mile, it will not shelter that amount of water 
front along the shore, because you have the angling in of storms that 
will practically make it shelter much less water front. I speak of this 
as it seems to me, being a layman and njta scientific man of your pro¬ 
fession. It seems to me that breakwater would probably not protect 
from the angling storms of the winter, because they come from 
both quarters, over half that amount. But, granting the full amount of 
four to fi^e thousand feet, when the four million dollars have been 
expended it would make about five thousand feet of breakwater, and 
we then have sheltered only as much water front as we are using today 
at San Pedro. How about the extra amount we want? 

Another fact You are building a deep-water breakwater at a cost 
of millions, to shelter, not big sea-going vessels, but schooners and 
smaller craft, and all these ship yards. Well, it is a very costly thing to 
do. Looking at the business at other ports, and the water front they 
utilize, and what we have, it seems to me any project that has in it less 
than from five to six or seven miles of water front is not the project for 
the future. 

Now, if that water front is secured at the open roadstead at Santa 
Monica—and I am not speaking invidiously, but simply giving facts — 
it means six or seven miles of breakwater, and every mile of that cost¬ 
ing about four millions of dollars. Now, it is questionable whether we 
as a people can expect the Government to put in from twenty-four to 
thirty millions of dollars for a harbor for us. I doubt if we ever get it 
Yet that amount will be necessary to shelter the water front the com- 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


7 


merce of the future will have to have for its ship yards and shoal-water 
shelter, and everything of that kind. The peculiarity of San Pedro is 
this, that we have already developed a large interior harbor, which will 
have about sixteen feet of water, at the lowest calculation, through the 
bar, with deeper water inside. 

Mr. Shorb.— Doctor, I don’t want to interrupt you, but if you will 
excuse me, probably I can give you the information you desire (handing 
document to Mr. Widney). 

Mr. Widney.— I have that, and loaned it to some of my San Pedro 
friends, and they failed to return it. Thank you. Now, at San Pedro 
the peculiarity is thi*: We have already an interior harbor which has 
about four miles of water front — I will speak generally, but I think 1 
am correct—at least four miles of waterfront, that will give at the lower 
end a depth of about twenty feet at low tide, and at the upper end 
about six feet at low tide. It has back of this channels running in all 
directions, that are low washes. The matter in them is so soft that the 
engineer told me you could take an iron rod and stand it up and it would 
sink down ten or twelve feet. Those channels ramify in all directions, 
and a little dredging will clean them out. So that you have there, at no 
expense to the Government, anywhere from six to ten miles of water 
frontage that does not come into the calculation for the outer breakwater. 

Now, the actual amount of deep water necessary is very small in any 
port. I expect you could take the San Francisco commerce today and 
put the deep-water vessels in half a mile. It is the greater number of 
light draft vessels that make the commerce. At San Pedro, instead of 
having to build a great many miles to accommodate these, you have 
simply to build enough deep-water breakwater to accommodate the few 
deep-sea vessels, while we have already the interior harbor, under the 
Government appropriation, that takes everything under twenty feet. 

Col. Craighill.— Before you finish your remarks, Doctor, give us an 
idea of the character of the vessels which you use on this coast; whether 
sailing vessels or schooners; and their tonnage. Their draft, rather 
than tonnage. Their draft. 

Mr. Widney.—All right. We are using— 

Col. Craighill.— Not at this particular moment, necessarily, but before 
you get through. 

Mr. Widney.— I can answer now just as well. We are using both. 
The vessels that come to us from abroad are largely sailing vessels, 
because of the distance. With the building of the Nicaragua canal they 
will be steamers, Captain, how much do the lumber vessels draw? 

Capt. David Weldt.— The schooners draw twelve, fourteen, eighteen 
and as high as twenty feet. 

Mr. Widney.—Those vessels nearly all run inside now, don’t they? 

Mr. Weldt.— Yes, sir. 

Mr. Widney.— I believe all the vessels come in. 

Mr. Weldt.—All the vessels come in; anything less than eighteen 
and nineteen feet, they all come inside. 

Mr. Widney.—And lie right at the wharf. The coast steamers run¬ 
ning to sea draw how much, Captain Weldt? 

Mr. Weldt.—They draw all the way from eighteen and twenty feet 
of water. 

Mr. Widney.— In my last trip up on the Santa Rosa the officers of the 
vessel told me — that is the largest and longest vessel—they said : “ We 

could take the vessel right in to the wharves if the channel was a little 
straighter. It is not quite straight enough through the bar.” They said 
they could run right in now, the largest vessel that comes to us, if the chan¬ 
nel was a little straighter. And that will be straightened out with the next 
year’s work. The Corona, which is the next in size, comes right in. In 
sailing vessels we have vessels drawing twenty feet of water that come 
to us. There are, therefore, a small number of vessels that would have 
to be accommodated by a deep-sea wall. The estimates given me by 


8 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


the engineers in San Francisco show they would be able to shelter 
about a mile and an eighth, between Dead Man’s Island and the point 
beyond, of deep-sea water, with the proposed work, at a cost of about 
four millions. Now that runs out to waters that are forty and fifty feet 
deep, as you understand by the drafts you have. You would simply 
have to ask the Government to pay four millions of dollars there to give 
us about a mile and a quarter there of deep water, which we need. 
And then we have the harbor already built for the remainder of the 
commerce of the future, and for our ship building and ship repairing. 
The great point commercially that is in favor of San Pedro is this : that 
the Government, at a cost of four millions, will accommodate a com¬ 
merce and ship building and repairing which would take from twenty 
to thirty millions at any other point, because we have the shoal harbor 
already and only have to protect the deep-sea vessels. 

Now, there is one point more, gentlemen, if you will excuse me for 
one moment. It is partly for the Board, and also for our own citizens. 
If we go ahead and improve the Santa Monica Bay, say a mile in length, 
it means this: We can accommodate there our deep-sea vessels, but 
we have to divide our commerce. All the remainder of it has to go to 
San Pedro for the lack of room. We will have to take our schooners 
and shipbuilding to San Pedro. That means two seaports, and not 
one, and a divided commerce and a divided strength. For in*tance, 
you can take a large river frontage with miles of deep water, and it will 
get centered down to one point. It is found more economical to do 
that. It is cheaper for capital to get to one point and get everything 
there. It is cheaper for the country. Now, if we have to divide the 
commerce of the future, as we should then be compelled to do, and put 
our light draft craft at San Pedro and our deep-sea vessels at Santa 
Monica, then we are compelled to build two harbors instead of one, 
and that is not good economy. It may not mean much to the Govern¬ 
ment in their outlay, but it means millions to us in our outlay. For this 
reason alone, and without touching upon other matters which will be 
presented in written form, it seems to me that, looking at it from the 
Government standpoint, and from ours also, the more economical point 
to select is San Pedro. The other facts you have on file. 

Mr. Wells.—The Colonel wishes to continue the presentation from 
San Pedro, if there are other facts to be presented. 

Mr. Shorb.—Now, Mr. Chairman, I think some of the facts that the 
people of Wilmington and San Pedro wish to present to your honorable 
Board is this report of the late Board of Engineers. I think that is 
their best brief. I propose to be very brief in my remarks, because Dr. 
Widney has already presented them so well and carefully that there is 
very little more to be said. Certainly at this point, before charts, before 
coast surveys, before anything in the way of shipping facilities were 
afforded, the vessels that were coming here and trading selected that 
point of all others as the safest point tor them to land. The long line 
of kelp reaching out from that rocky bottom, and the certain amount of 
protection afforded by the topography of the land around there prob¬ 
ably suggested that point for them to land and discharge and take on 
their cargoes. 

I will say this now. Possibly the question comes up of comparison 
between Santa Monica and San Pedro. I was guilty of writing a letter 
some few days since, in which I animadverted upon the proposition of 
the Board of Engineers calling to their assistance the general public. 
And to your Honorable Board I wish to apologize, because I didn’t 
exactly understand the idea at the time. I thought then that a matter 
of so great moment to our people should be left to a corps of gentlemen 
whose life, whose education, whose experience would lead them to 
proper conclusions, against newspapers, against individuals who had 
private interests to subserve, against railroads, against even railroad 
engineers. This is a distinct business, to which you gentlemen have 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


9 


given a life study; and I desire very publicly to state here it has been 
my proud privilege to know a great many gentlemen connected with 
the Engineer Corps of the United States Army over a great many years. 
I believe you are a body of gentlemen that haven’t your peers in the 
United States of America, and, whatever your decision may be in rela¬ 
tion to this point, in behalf of myself, in behalf of the people of 
Wilmington and San Pedro, we bow absolute submission to your 
judgment. 

There are some matters that I think ought to be given public expres¬ 
sion to here. I do not speak with any feeling or any unkindness, but 
there are some things that look rather peculiar, and that we as citizens 
have a right to inquire into. During all of these years since John 
Alexander, Mendell and those gentlemen have been employed in com¬ 
pleting the improvements at San Pedro, the advantages there have 
principally been to the Southern Pacific railroad company. I have had 
long conversations with Governor Stanford and Mr. Huntington. They 
were not in confidence, or certainly that confidence would remain invio¬ 
late. Both of those gentlemen have time and again said—and I know 
they have said the same thing to others—spoke of the necessity of a 
breakwater at Wilmington. That was their only point. Governor 
Stanford told me himself that he proposed to make it the work of his 
Senatorial life to secure for that point such appropriations as may be 
necessary to furnish what was desired. He even went so far, after hav¬ 
ing acquired wharf privileges at Santa Monica and building and using a 
wharf, to pull it down. I think it is a privilege and a right for us to 
inquire now: How is it that those gentlemen think all that has been 
done down here has been wasted money, and that the only point for 
the Board of Government Engineers to select is some point down here 
in the gorge of Santa Monica; which, according to common report—I 
don’t state it <as a fact, and I have no doubt these gentlemen will answer 
that proposition—is to work to their exclusive advantage, if built? 

Now, Mr. Chairman, there is a gentleman here who for thirty-two 
years of his life has been navigating the bay of San Pedro, who was 
intimately acquainted with it long before the Government spent one 
dollar in the improvement of that harbor. He is a man that has no 
interests to advance, who has no land to improve, either at Santa Mon¬ 
ica or Wilmington. He is a man who has the confidence of the Board 
of Engineers and of those who have been immediately in charge of that 
work, and who has done a great deal of the work himself for them. I 
refer to Captain A. A. Polhemus, now at San Diego, who knows more 
about that harbor, about the holdings or about the anchorage, than 
probably any other man in this community; and I should like to have 
the privilege, sir, of presenting him to you, and then I shall close my 
remarks. If Captain Polhemus will come forward, I think, gentlemen, 
he will give you all the information that is desired. 

Mr. Polhemus.— Mr. Chairman, I think Mr. Shorb is a little prema¬ 
ture, because the question under discussion now is with reference to the 
commerce, and I think I will come later on. 

Col. Craighill.— No, we are discussing the merits of San Pedro now. 

Mr. Polhemus.— I beg your pardon, then. Does anchorage come 
under discussion? 

Col. Craighill.—Yes. 

Mr. Polhemus.— I first went into the employ, at San Pedro, of Gen¬ 
eral Banning, the father of the present transportation company, in i860 ; 
and, shortly afterwards, took charge of the lighters and everything 
pertaining to the; water anchorage outside. I remained with him until 
he transferred his interests to the Los Angeles and San Pedro railroad 
company, and from them to the Southern Pacific, and then back to Gen¬ 
eral Banning again; remaining with him until 1884, and then I ceased 
my connection with him. 

With relation to the anchorage I will state that San Pedro is known 

2 


10 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


among shipping men as one of the best holding grounds on the coast. 
Our lighters there always use small anchors and very heavy chains, as 
anybody can see by looking there today, for the reason the anchors 
never drag; and when anything went ashore it was .simply because the 
chains parted. A small anchor always hold, so necessarily the chains 
always parted. You will find in the rules of ship-owners that our chains 
are out of all proportions to the weight of the anchor. The Cooper, 
Adelaide Cooper, the Amelia, and the brig Calor, were all wrecked 
while I was at San Pedro, every one of them leaving their anchorage in 
San Pedro and parting their chains. The bottom there is a loose rock; 
not a ledge, but a loose rock, on which kelp grows. There was a ves¬ 
sel at anchorage there in a gale of wind. The captain found he was 
dragging his anchor, and was much surprised to find the ship was drift¬ 
ing and the chain not broken. And he called me aboard, and the fluke 
of the anchor had turned straight back in the line of the shank of it, 
showing how strong the holding was, to turn the anchor in preference 
to dragging over the ground. Now, speaking of the inner harbor— 

Col. Craighill.—You have been speaking of the outer harbor? 

Mr. Polhemus.— I have been speaking of the outer harbor. Now, 
the inner harbor. There is not near the advantage taken of that harbor 
that there might have been. Before I left there in the ’70’s I brought 
coal vessels over that bar, bringing about thirteen hundred tons of coal, 
thirteen and fourteen feet draft; and every vessel that could come in 
with coal came inside. Shortly after that an edict came forth that every¬ 
thing that carried coal remain outside. The bark Valparaiso loaded in 
that inner harbor with wheat. Since that date all the wheat has been 
put aboard on the outside. And Colonel Mendell said to me one day: 
“This harbor is the only place south of San Francisco where the Gov¬ 
ernment has spent one cent, and it is the only harbor south of San Fran¬ 
cisco where a wagon can’t get alongside of a vessel.” • You can’t go 
into that port and charter a vessel and load it with produce without 
paying tariff to somebody else to put it aboard. They won’t allow you 
to do it yourself. I believe that is all I have to say to you. 

Col. Craighill.— Captain, some of the other members of the Board 
want to ask you some questions. 

Lieut.-Col. Haynes.— How much area does that holding ground bot¬ 
tom extend over? 

Mr. Polhemus.—It extends in a direct line nearly due south from 
Dead Man’s Island. After you pass below that land you have then the 
same formation you have over at Santa Monica—sandy bottom, where 
an anchor won’t hold near as well. When you get outside the kelp line 
the bottom changes from mud and stone to sand. There the anchors 
do not hold as well. But wherever you have muddy bottom and little 
patches of kelp growing around, there the holding ground is better. 

Mr. Wells.—Perhaps you could indicate it on the map, so they could 
see that more clearly. 

Mr. Haynes—There is the line of proposed breakwater (indicating 
on a plat). & 

Mr. Polhemus.—In a due south line from Dead Man’s Island (illus¬ 
trating on the plat). Off this way the kelp grows in patches ; all through 
there. When you pass down over here you strike sand. 

Mr. Haynes.—That is, all to the westward of that line. 

Mr. Polhemus.—Yes, sir—all to the westward of that line. To the 
westward of the line it is good, and to the eastward it is sand. 

Lieut.-Col. Robert.—That part is sand, and this is your rock, in here 
(indicating). 

Mr. Polhemus.—Yes, sir. And I would state if that is called in 
question I can bring oaths from—well, all the captains on the coast that 
has been there. 

Mr. Robert.—Have you ever known of any case of a vessel dragging 
its anchor in a storm, in all your thirty-eight years’ experience ? 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


11 


Mr. Polhemus.—Not to my knowledge, unless by lying there the 
anchor had been fouled and caught around the fluke, and dragged that 
way, stern first. Where care has been taken to keep the anchor clear, 

I have never known an instance of it. There may have been, but not 
to my knowledge. 

Mr. Haynes.—Another point, Captain, before you leave, and that is, 
from which direction do you get the greatest swells? After what 
storms? 

Mr. Polhemus.—With southeast winds ; this point, between the 
lower end of Catalina Island and Point San Juan. The winds begin 
there and blow with very heavy violence ; and when the storm shifts— 
it never stays long down on the lower coast—to the southwest, it swings 
around west and west-northwest; and when it gets around it is a sure 
sign the storm is broke with us. A bark lay there once drawing fifteen 
feet of water, and she unshipped her rudder and stove her keel off in 
twenty-seven feet. She was dropping twelve feet in the roll of the 
water. But still she held on. She never dragged. She belonged to a 
millionaire owner in San Francisco, and he will verify that statement, if 
you desire. Twelve feet under her keel in shoal water, and she never 
slipped. 

Mr. Haynes.—I would like to ask you a question, based upon your 
observation as to the fact. 

Mr. Polhemus.—Certainly. 

Mr. Haynes.—Whether Catalina Island affords any real protection 
to the harbor of San Pedro. 

Mr. Polhemus.—Oh, it does. 

Mr. Haynes.—From what; the winds, or the- 

Mr. Polhemus.—From the winds. Not the wind, but the swell; that 
is, the sea swell. If you will go along the inside shore of Catalina 
Island you can land anywhere with a boat. On the ocean side you can’t 
touch it, except with a harbor; a heavy sea swell breaking against it all 
the time. 

Major Handbury.—Does not that section of calm play out, as it were, 
before it gets to the shore? 

Mr. Polhemus.—I don’t know as I understand you. 

Mr. Handbury.—There is a calm section. When the wind is blow¬ 
ing in this direction you have it rough on the other side and a calm on 
this side. Now, will that area of protected- 

Mr. Polhemus.—Yes, sir. I understand you now. 

Mr. Handbury.—How much of this shore, then, is protected by the 
calm ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—Well, it modifies, as I say, the swell all around. 
The swell comes around Calalina and meets and blows in here, but it is 
modified wonderfully from what it would be. Go down to Newport 
and around that beach where it is not protected. You will find the 
westerly swell a great deal heavier. And also up to Santa Monica, and 
around there. Where it is not protected it is a great deal heavier. But 
in the summer winds it is to a certain extent sheltered. There is no 
westerly wind that comes in there that a vessel can’t stand. 

Mr. Haynes.—A re those southeasters usually accompanied by rain, 

or how is that? . , , 

Mr. Polhemus.—Sometimes we have what is called a dry southeaster, 
but they are not numerous. They are few. 

Major Raymond.—Captain, on the map there are two lines which 
indicate the location of the proposed breakwater at Point Fermin. 
Suppose that western end was closed, that is indicated on the map— 

Col. Craighill.—That, you understand, is the breakwater proposed 
by the previous Board. . , , , „ 

Mr. Raymond.—Suppose that was closed, could the harbor be suffi¬ 
ciently accessible for vessels, with the direction of the wind in which 


12 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


they want to make the harbor ? Could they get in the harbor around 
that side ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—Yes, sir, they could. 

Mr. Raymond.— It would be almost due west. 

Mr. Polhemus.—They could haul up here (indicating), and make that 
entrance at any time. 

Mr. Raymond.— In your opinion an entrance on the west side is not 
absolutely necessary? 

Mr. Polhemus.— It is not absolutely necessary. No, sir, it is not. 

Mr. Handbury.— Suppose you were in there and wanted to get out 
during one of these southeasterly winds. Could you do so if that 
opening wasn’t there ? 

Mr. Polhemus.— If you are in there and there is a southeaster you 
never want to get out. Unless you are going' south, with one of these 
southeasters you never have any desire. If there are two sides to that 
breakwater you would prefer the inner side all through. 

Mr. Handbury.—Couldn’t you put out in the lee of Catalina Island? 
And if the wind whipped around there you would want to get back. 

Mr. Polhemus.— Yes, sir. Well, if it got worse you would hold 
ground, or go out. But if there was a breakwater there you would want 
to stay inside. 

Mr. Handbury.— I was thinking more particularly about when there 
was a slight wind, and you wanted to go to sea ; whether it wouldn’t be 
better to have the opening to go out through that way rather than beat 
around down against the wind. 

Mr. Polhemus.—Well, most all vessels going out there of any size, 
like they do in San Francisco and New York harbor, always employ a 
tug to get them started. They look more upon making a harbor safe 
and then using a tug to get in and out. It is very seldom they depend 
wholly on the sails to get in or go out, in all harbors, nowadays. 

Mr. Haynes.—They either have their own steam, or else are towed 
out. 

Mr. Polhemus.—Yes, sir. Anything further, gentlemen ? 

Mr. Haynes.— I think not. 

Mr. Shorb.— I would like to have Captain Hawthorne come forward. 

Mr. Hawthorne.—I am a ship master in San Pedro five years ; run¬ 
ning there a deep-water ship ; and I found the holding good with a 
seventeen hundred ton ship. It laid there and rode out a heavy south¬ 
easter without a pound of ballast in the ship. The holding ground is 
good, and the facilities there are good for a deep-water harbor. 

Mr. Haynes.—Where did you lay, Captain? Up here in this part 
that is described by Captain Polhemus? 

Mr. Hawthorne.—Here is Dead Man’s Island right here, sir. In 
seven fathom of water (indicating). That is all I have to say. 

Mr. Shorb.— Captain Hamilton, gentlemen, on behalf of San Pedro. 

Captain Hamilton. —Do you wish me to talk on the holding ground, 
or- 

Col. Craighill.—Well, that is what we are talking about now, Captain. 

Mr. Hamilton.— I have been running along the coast for twelve years, 
and nine years of that time I have been running to San Pedro, steady’ 
I have been on a steamer for the last five years for Kerckhoff & Cuz- 
ner, here in Los Angeles. Previous to that I had a sailing schooner, a 
large three masted schooner called the Challenge, and I used to run 
here all the time. I have been anchored outside and run through some 
pretty heavy gales of wind, and I never had but one anchor down in 
all the time I have been at San Pedro bay. I have never thought I 
wanted but one anchor. I never saw an English ship drag here. I have 
seen an American ship drag once or twice, but I think the anchor was 
fouled, the teeth filled. 

Mr. Haynes.—Were the storms severe? 

Mr. Hamilton.—The storms have been severe; lots of times when I 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


13 


would sooner be ashore than out there, and the vessels I have been on 
have never dragged, and I never had but one anchor down. I am sat¬ 
isfied it is good holding ground, if you don’t get down here where it is 
sand and the anchor won’t hold. 

Col. Craighill.—You say “down here.” How far down is that? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, say a couple of miles down from Point Fermin. 
Anywhere to the eastward of that I don’t consider the holding ground 
as good. 

Col. Craighill.—Within two miles of Point Fermin? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, two miles to two miles and a half. 

Col. Craighill.—And out to what depth ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—You don’t want to get outside of eight or nine fathom. 

I consider the holding ground better inside of that than outside. 

Mr. Robert.—Have you ever anchored in Santa Monica? 

Mr. Hamilton.— Never, never anchored in Santa Monica. 

Col. Craighill.— If there is any other point you would like to present, 
Captain, we would like to hear it. 

Mr. Hamilton.—There is no place I know of around here, taking the 
places as they are left by nature, without the help of the Government 
at all, where I would sooner anchor and trust my vessel in than I would 
in San Pedro. That is, between the points named ; between Point 
Loma and San Juan. I consider I am safer in San Pedro today, with it 
just as it stands today, than any other point, under the same circum¬ 
stances. 

Col. Craighill.— Have you gentlemen any questions you would like 
to ask ? 

Someone.—What is the safety under a west wind at San Pedro ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, it is good with a west wind at San Pedro. The 
southeast wind is the only wind that we ever undertake to get away 
from. 

Someone.—Well, that is the prevailing wind. 

Mr. Hamilton.—The southeast wind is our heavy gales. Our west¬ 
erly winds are the prevailing winds. San Pedro is safe under all cir¬ 
cumstances with a westerly wind. A man has good ground. 

Col. Craighill.—How many of those gales occur in a year, Captain, 
and at what seasons ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Some years we don’t have a heavy southeaster 
down here at all, and some years we have two or three of them. 

Col. Craighill.—In what season? 

Mr. Hamilton.—In the winter season; from the month of November 
on to April, to March. 

Mr. Craighill.—How many days do they last? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, about two or three days, down here. They 
last longer as you go north. 

Col. Craighill.—We are talking about San Pedro. About three days. 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, not as long as that, sir. Generally the weight 
of it is blown over in twenty-four hours. It comes around the south, 
and due southwest and west. 

Col. Craighill.— When it gets around to the west, you don’t care. 

Mr. Hamilton .—We don’t care. It is uncomfortable to lay there, 
because the sea hasn’t gone down. It is southerly and southeast sea. 
But then it is over. 

Mr. Robert.—The direction of the worst swell right here would be 
what? 

Mr. Hamilton.—This is north ? 

Mr. Robert.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Hamilton.— Southeast. The worst sea comes in around the 
south end of Catalina Island. 

Mr. Robert.—Well, take that direction there. How would a break' 
water here protect you, if that is the worst swell coming that way ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, get in here. 


14 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


Mr. Robert.—You would have to get in very close. 

Mr. Hamilton.—Well, if you know there is something to the wind¬ 
ward of you, you ain’t as scared to get in there. If there is nothing in 
front of you, you want to get out here, where you can get out if you 
think anything is going to take place. 

Mr. Robert.—Are there any swells coming in here that amount to 
anything? Take that gap there. Does not that cause trouble ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—No. 

Mr. Robert.—Would you rather have that opening there ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—No. 

Mr. Robert.—Have you ever known of a single case of a vessel 
dragging her anchors when they were not fouled ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Never. 

Mr. Robert.—Never heard of such a case? 

Mr. Hamilton.—No, not here in San Pedro. 

Mr. Shorb.—Have you ever heard of one at Santa Monica, Captain? 

Mr. Hamilton.—My experience of Santa Monica is all hearsay. 

Col. Craighill.—We don’t want any hearsay. 

Mr. Hamilton.—It is no use in talking from hearsay. 

Col. Craighill.—Confine yourself to San Pedro, please. 

Mr. Hamilton.—The gentleman asked me. 

Col. Craighill.—No questions about Santa Monica. 

Mr. Reynolds.—I would like to ask a question. 

Col. Craighill.—Is it regarding San Pedro? 

Mr. Reynolds.—Yes, sir. 

Col. Craighill.—Very well. 

Mr. Reynolds —And that is regarding the submerged reef which 
runs southerly from Point Fermin.—Is it not a natural protection to the 
present harbor ? 

Mr. Hamilton.—Partly, yes, sir; as far as it goes. 

Mr. Reynolds.—What is its distance? How long is it? 

Mr. Hamilton.—About half a mile off from the Point. 

Mr. Reynolds.—From kelp line or shore line? 

Mr. Hamilton.—No, the shore is very close to the kelp line. Half a 
mile from the shore line. 

Mr. Reynolds.—How much water is there over it? 

Mr. Hamilton.—About six or eight feet at the time I was there. I 
was out aboard the ship that was wrecked there two or three times 
while she lay there. 

Mr. Raymond.—Kindly indicate that on the map for my benefit, 
Captain. 

Mr. Hamilton.—Right about here. The ship run on there in broad 
daylight. 

Col. Craighill.—Any further questions, gentlemen? 

Mr. McVickery.—Well, gentlemen, I have been at San Pedro for 
about thirteen years. Seven years I have been master, which Captain 
Polhemus knows; and since I have been master, and when I was mate, 
when I was master, when I got there I always anchored, no matter how 
the weather was. As far as the anchorage is concerned, we never 
dragged and never used but one anchor off of San Pedro; never was 
any occasion to use any more. That is about all I can say about it. It 
is good holding ground, and a good harbor. 

Col. Craighill.—That is an opinion founded upon your own observa¬ 
tion? 

Mr. McVickery.—That is from experience, sir; thirteen years run¬ 
ning to San Pedro; pretty near steady, excepting a few trips. 

Col. Craighill.—Any questions you would like to ask? 

Mr. Robert.—You have no experience of the other places, so as to 
compare them? 

Mr. McVickery.—I was never there, sir, since I have been running. 
I had no occasion to go there. 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


15 


Mr. Robert.—No, sir. 

Col. Craighill.—We have no further questions to ask. 

• Mr. Reynolds.—Captain Rasmus. 

Mr. Rasmus.— I have been running to San Pedro for the last five 
years, and always found San Pedro harbor a good holding ground, and 
a good place for anchors. And in the year ’87 I was a witness of the 

ship America, and also the-there was one chain carried away, 

and the Kennedy had his anchors fouled. It was not on account of the 
holding ground at all. The ship America was holding the chain from 
below, and when they thought it was all safe the chain slipped, and that 
i s th e way the vessel went ashore. I also witnessed the bark San Luis 
when he went ashore. He slipped his chain and was trying to make it 
sailing out, but he couldn’t, and went on the beach. When a vessel 
parts her chain there must be good holding ground. When the holding 
ground is poor the vessel never parts her chain. I think it would be a 
very good place for a deep-water harbor or any other harbor. That is 
all I can say. 

Mr. Shorb.—Captain Paul. 

Mr. Paul.—I have been master on this coast for about twenty years, 
all the time on coast vessels; and I have run to San Pedro for a number 
of years. I always found it a nice place to go to. I have come here 
sometimes when a heavy wind was blowing, when you couldn’t dream 
of going into any other place on the coast, and when you got in San 
Pedro the vessel rested quite comfortably. And then we have lots of 
strange vessels that come to San Pedro, in going from San Francisco, 
that get dismasted, or something like that. We had a Chilean vessel 
last year that come down to repair, and come in there at night. It is a 
place you can always make in the night time. We had a vessel got dis¬ 
masted at Redondo Beach and had to come to San Pedro. So I don’t 
think there is any place better to come to than San Pedro. I have been 
twenty years experienced in it. 

Mr. Shorb.—For the present we have nothing more to offer. 

Col. Craighill.—Gentlemen, the San Pedro subject is exhausted for 
the present; although, as I said before, there will be an opportunity for 
the San Pedro people to say something more after having heard the 
others. We will now be very glad for Santa Monica to make its case. 

Mr. R. B. Carpenter.—Mr. President, and gentlemen of the Board: 
I have here the report of the Board of Trustees of Santa Monica that I 
will read, or hand to the Board without reading, as they desire. 

Mr. Haynes.—We will leave it to you, Judge, to decide. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, it is not lengthy, and perhaps it will be better 
to read it : 

“The Committee of the Whole of the Board of Trustees of the 
Town of Santa Monica, and citizens, present the following facts in rela¬ 
tion to this locality as the most feasible point for the proposed deep-sea 
harbor, and invite your careful consideration of the same. 

FRONTAGE OF A DEEP-SEA HARBOR IF CONSTRUCTED AT SANTA 

MONICA. 

“At Santa Monica there are no sloughs or swamps to interfere with 
or render expensive the use of the frontage protected by a breakwater. 
All the frontage protected would be available for wharves without piling 
or other expenses for the approaches. 

“The business that would be conducted at present in a harbor such 
as proposed would be extensive. The presumption is reasonable that 
such business would grow, not only with the growth of the adjacent 
country, but also by reason of the facility of approach from the interior 
through the low grades of the passes, the absence of snow and the 
favorable climate. 

“A harbor constructed to accommodate the present business of Los 



/ 


16 REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 

Angeles could at Santa Monica be indefinitely extended. When we 
consider the large wharf frontage required for the transaction of busi¬ 
ness in good and conveniently located harbors, say as at San F'rancisco, 
ten or fifteen miles of such frontage may reasonably be expected to be 
eventually necessary. Santa Monica Bay offers this frontage for the 
eventual extension of the deep-sea harbor, should the business warrant 
it. In building a harbor at this point, the Government would be guar¬ 
anteed in having room enough to enlarge it to meet the requirements 
of any future trade. The irrigation of Arizona lands and consequently 
increased products from that section, together with the rapid growth of 
the whole southwest, would, under good facilities, support a large coast 
commerce. 

‘‘The extension of American commerce on the Pacific, and the com¬ 
pletion of the Nicaragua Canal would likewise give large business to a 
harbor at this point. 

“ It may be noted that the nearest available harbor to Los Angeles 
is at present at San Diego, one hundred and twenty miles distant, and 
that the intervening grades are heavy and expensive to work. To the 
north the nearest harbor is San Francisco, four hundred and eighty 
miles distant, with heavy grades to surmount. In the eastern states, 
on the Atlantic coast, no such vast extent of seaboard is without 
numerous harbors. 

“ Los Angeles being situated at the only natural break in the moun¬ 
tain chains separating California from the interior, is eminently deserv¬ 
ing of being aided by the Government in the construction of a deep-sea 
harbor. In serving Los Angeles the whole southwest, and in fact the 
whole eastern states are likewise accommodated with the best outlet 
for Pacific commerce. 

ADVANTAGES OF SANTA MONICA AS REGARDS DISTANCE. 

“ Every mile of distance and every hour of time saved in transporta¬ 
tion is so much gained, and other things being equal, should decide the 
location of a harbor at the point most favorably situated. 

“ Our large and heavy business, lumber, coal and merchandise, is 
now with San Francisco and other points north. Santa Monica is nearer 
these points than any other in this county. It is also the nearest to Los 
Angeles City. 

“ In this connection it may be observed that natural causes force the 
future growth of Los Angeles westward. Every increment to the pop¬ 
ulation of this railroad center brings it nearer to Santa Monica. Event¬ 
ually it may be surmised that Los Angeles itself will extend to the sea 
at Santa Monica. No such result can be anticipated elsewhere. 

“The distance between Santa Monica and the following stations in 
Los Angeles are as follows : 

1. By the Southern Pacific Railway: 

University, at the west end of Los Angeles, 12.74 miles ; 

Jefferson street station, 13.74 miles ; 

Arcade depot, 17.4 miles; 

Commercial street station, 18.2 miles ; 

San Fernando street, 19.3 miles. 

2. By the Southern California Railway Co. (Santa F 4 system): 

First street station, 20.7 miles ; 

Central avenue station, 15 miles. 

APPROACHES BY LAND. 

“No difficulties either in the construction or operation of railroads 
between the two places exist. 

“The Southern Pacific has a right of way for twenty-five feet each 
side from the center of its track along the beach to its wharf, and other 
lines of railway secure similar rights of way, also through the town, 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


17 


and Santa Monica canon, and there is already a wa^on road along the 
beach to and beyond the wharf of the Southern Pacific Co. 

“The wharf of the Southern Pacific Co., of which 750 feet is now 
constructed, will be when completed over 6000 feet in length, accessible 
to vessels from all parts of the world. 

. “ The Santa F6 Co. have also a line constructed and in operation to 
this point. They contemplate constructing a wharf at an early day. 

“ There is also another line between Los Angeles and Santa Monica 
known as the Los Angeles & Pacific Railway, which is not now in 
operation. 

“Santa Monica has a safe and open approach from the sea. No 
shoals, rocks, or dangers of any kind exist. Insurance in the cost of 
pilotage at this point would therefore be at a minimum. The holding 
ground for anchorage is uniformly good, both inside and outside of any 
breakwater that might be constructed. The ocean at this point shoals 
gradually and uniformly. 

“ The trade winds blow regularly from the west about 350 days in 
the year. This wind forms for Santa Monica what is known in the West 
Indies as a lazy man’s wind, that is, a wind which permits sailing vessels 
to approach or depart, north or south, without tacking. This favorable 
condition would place the cost of towage at this point at a minimum. 

“The report made in 1876 by Patteson of the Coast Survey says: 

‘ The use of the lead insures entire safety, for the shoaling is gradual, 
and a vessel can approach the shore anywhere in this vicinity to within 
four and a half fathoms without danger.’ 

“The large commerce transacted at Santa Monica wharf in 1875, ’76, 
’77, ’78, was not attended by wrecks or disasters such as have unfortu¬ 
nately and frequently occurred at every other wharf and landing in this 
county. 

MATERIAL FOR BREAKWATER. 

“At Santa Monica a range of mountains comes down to and juts 
out into the sea. These mountains from the beach to their summits 
are composed of various kinds of rock. They consist mainly of the 
following: 

“Granite can be found at Cold Water Canon back of the Soldiers 
Home, at Sepulveda Hills, at Tunie Canon and also Declezville. All 
of these points are easily accessible. 

“The ocean bottom is as nearly perfect as it could be for the con¬ 
struction of a breakwater at Santa Monica. The official maps of the 
coast survey indicate the conditions in detail. 

“The slope of the shore is very gradual. There are no quicksands 
to swallow up material and there is no stream such as the Los Angeles, 
San Gabriel or Santa Ana rivers to bring in debris to choke up a harbor 
when completed. 

“ The soundings show that the ten-fathom line of depth runs at a 
uniform distance from the shore of about one mile and a half for some 
ten miles from the old Santa Monica Canon, south. 

“The peculiar situation of Santa Monica and the prevailing westerly 
trade winds and swell would, by a breakwater constructed here, provide 
considerable protection to the entire stretch of Santa Monica Bay to the 
south. Consequently a breakwater constructed here would protect 
more coast than if constructed at anv other point on Santa Monica Bay. 

“ The Government holds at present two reservations at Santa Mon¬ 
ica, one at the coast on the west side of the town of Santa Monica, of 
about ten acres. There is also a reservation of five hundred acres back 
of the town of Santa Monica, part of which is now occupied by a Na¬ 
tional Soldiers’ Home. These Government lands could be utilized by 
the Government in any defensive or other operations in connection with 
a deep-sea harbor. 

“ Water in abundance and of good quality is, in our days of steam, 
3 


18 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


an essential for extensive shipping interests. The Santa Monica moun¬ 
tains furnish and contain large supplies of fine water, Rustic, Temescal 
and Santa Ynez canons all contain fine perennial streams, and the 
Malibu canon, a very large stream. 

“ We believe that no place upon the line of coast designated for your 
inquiries contains a Supply of water equal to that available at Santa 
Monica. Respectfully submitted, The Committee. 

“By J. J. Carillo, Chairman.” 

Mr. Raymond.—Who submits that? 

Mr. Carpenter. —It is the Trustees of the City of Santa Monica. Mr. 
President, and gentlemen of the Board, we now introduce Captain 
Stoddard. 

Mr. Stoddard.—Gentlemen, I can only speak from the standpoint of 
a mariner. I have had some seven years’ experience on the coast 
here; some experience at Santa Monica and at San Pedro, and different 
places. And with regard to Santa Monica, we have fine holding ground; 
good holding ground. We have good approaches, clear of all hidden 
dangers ; accessible at any time. It is not necessary to speak of any 
thing but Santa Monica. 

Col. Craighill.—Nothing but Santa Monica. 

Mr. Stoddard.—I have discharged freight at the old wharf at Santa 
Monica in very bad weather. On one occasion I was discharging freight 
the whole night in a southeaster, and it was a pretty severe one, too. 
And in the morning I went around to San Pedro, but was not able to 
discharge freight there. I carried the freight to San Diego, and left it 
on the return trip. It was not practicable and probably not possible to 
discharge it at San Pedro. In Santa Monica, even in the heaviest gales, 
I never knew of a heavy ocean swell with a breaker on top to come in 
there. There is sometimes a heavy roll, a heavy roll swell; but the sea, 
the ocean swell, is broken up by the outlying islands, and then again it 
is interrupted by the slight current of the Santa Barbara channel. It is 
a very sensative thing. And by the time it gets in to the beach it is the 
remnants of the old roll; sometimes very large, but it is very seldom. 
I have never seen a dangerous sea there at all. And I know of one 
night a bark at anchor there had got under way, with close reefed tops. 
It was in the night; and worked out. And the only reason she was 
obliged to get under way was because she hadn’t room to veer her cable, 
for the wharf. The wharf was too near, and she hadn’t room to veer 
her cable, or she would have laid there ; remained there. I am satisfied 
that the slight current that is almost constantly running down the Santa 
Barbara channel has a perceptible effect upon the sea. We had a little 
experience of that on the coast of North Carolina during the war, when 
the blockading fleet lay anchored off Port Fisher for the year round. 
We certainly couldn’t have done it east of the Gulf, and I attribute our 
success to the effects of the Gulf Stream. And all our sailing instruc¬ 
tions to sailing vessels or masters were to keep outside of that bight 
between Cape Lookout and Cape Fear. And I lay there in a sloop of 
war part of two winters, and never got under way but once, and that 
was by signal of the Admiral; but never was obliged to get under way 
for bad weather. And a similar state of affairs are at Santa Monica. I 
think a vessel — I know a vessel can go there and hold on in any 
weather, the year round. Moor a vessel there, with her anchor down, 
and she rides there, because the holding ground is very good. If you 
get further to the southward it is not so good as it is a little east of the 
town. 

Mr. Handbury.—Did you ever have occasion to ride out a storm in 
that locality ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir, I did; along side of the dock, and dis¬ 
charged freight all night. 

Mr. Handbury.—I mean anchored off outside of the dock. 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir. 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


19 


Mr. Handbury. What was the size of the vessel you was in the habit 
of commanding? 

Mr. Stoddard—It was about a thousand ton. 

Mr. Handbury.—Did you ever anchor out from the dock at all? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, we never had occasion to anchor there. 

Mr. Handbury.—Then your experience is confined entirely to about 
the dock ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Handbury.—From practical experience do you know anything 
about the holding ground there ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Well, yes, I have—I often, in going alongside of 
the dock I run the ship ahead past the end of the dock for her length, 
and let go our anchor to ease the lines you make fast to the dock with, 
and then veer the cable to the proper position to the dock and make 
the ship fast. 

Mr. Handbury.—That would be just a small anchor, kedge anchor, 
or something of that kind. 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir, one of our bow anchors. 

Mr. Haynes.—That was in good weather. 

Mr. Stoddard.—-Well, if there was any breeze or any swell — some¬ 
times a swell rolls in there, and the undertow bothers me more than the 
swell. The wharf was not long enough to get beyond the undertow. 
The undertow made a great surge alongside of the dock. 

Mr. Handbury.—What was the character of the material that would 
come up on your anchor when you anchored out there ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Sand and mud. 

Mr. Handbury—Do you know of any vessel that has been anchored 
off of that beach in time of storm, and rode it out? 

Mr. Stoddard—I do not, sir. 

Mr. Haynes.—Speaking about the current, Captain, that runs along 
the shore, can you indicate the direction of it along there ? Here is the 
line, and here is Santa Monica. 

Mr. Stoddard.—In speaking of the current outside of? 

Mr. Haynes.—You referred to a current out there. 

Mr. Stoddard.—The Santa Barbara Channel? 

Mr. Haynes.—There is no current along here? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Well, there is. We have slight- 

Mr. Haynes.—Tiiat is not the current you referred to ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir. 

Mr. Raymond.—Does that current all run in the same direction? 

Mr. Stoddard.—It may be and is deflected sometimes, and affected 
by the southeast gales, temporarily. 

Mr. Raymond.—Well, it runs in about the same direction. 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir, it runs right down past Santa Barbara. 
Everybody calls it the Santa Barbara current. It runs there about nine 
months in the year. It is a little affected by other winds. 

Mr. Haynes.—Do you find any currents along close in the shore, 
Captain ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—There are little currents here along the shore I have 
no experience with, only I knew the old dock, the water shoals percep¬ 
tibly underneath the dock after a while. 

Mr. Robert—That was the current that was going to the west. 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Robert.—The one you refer to is a warmer current? 

Mr. Stoddard.—It comes down Santa Barbara channel. 

Mr. Robert.—That is warmer than the others, isn’t it? 

Mr. Stoddard.—The temperature? I don’t know. 

Mr Carpenter.—He asked you if that isn’t a warmer current. 

Mr. Stoddard.—I am not positive about the temperature, whether it 
is higher or lower. But I know that the heavy ocean swell — although 
there is sometimes a little swell comes in here, I have never seen an 


20 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


ocean swell come in here. It is broken up with the outlying islands 
and the current, and this has an influence on the fragments, and you 
have only this space here (indicating), and it don’t come with violence. 

Mr. Handbury.—Captain, there is one more question. The vessels 
that you have been sailing over those waters, are they sailing vessels or 
steamers ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Steamers. 

Mr. Handbury.—What is the tonnage? 

Mr. Stoddard.—About a thousand ton. 

Mr. Handbury.—How much water do they draw when loaded? 

Mr. Stoddard.—We use from twelve to fourteen feet. 

Mr. Handbury.—You have never had any experience in those wa¬ 
ters, then, with sailing vessels ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Not with sailing vessels. 

Someone.—Captain, what vessel was it you were running at Santa 
Monica ; what kind of a vessel ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—A sidewheel vessel. 

Someone —A steam schooner? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir, a sidewheel steamer. 

Someone else.—Would you like to go in with a sailing vessel under 
some circumstances ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—I wouldn’t have any hesitation in doing it with ten 
fathoms of water, because I can get out whenever I please. I have a 
long board either way. 

Someone else.—How about San Pedro, in going into San Pedro? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Well, you could enter the harbor and proceed to 
your anchorage. 

Someone else.—In that storm where you put out and couldn’t land 
there- 

Mr. Stoddard.—I went there and anchored my vessel; but it was too 
heavy to allow the lighters to remain alongside. 

Someone else.—If there had been a wharf there, would you go 
alongside the wharf? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Not by any means, sir. 

Someone.—Did you make a statement that you got under way ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—What do you say? 

Someone.—Didn’t you make a statement that you got under way 
there one night, under close-reefed topsails? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir. I made the statement that I saw a bark get 
under way. 

Someone.—And she didnt have room enough to pay out chain ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir, for the wharf. She was anchored just off 
the buoy and- 

Someone.—She didn’t have room enough to pay out her cable, but 
still got under way in the dark ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir, got under way in the dark. 

Someone.—Could you see that she was close-reefed ? 

Someone else.—Did you ever see a ship get under way under close- 
reefed topsails on a lee-shore? 

Mr. Stoddard—This was not a lee-shore. 

Someone—Well, it was all right, then. The wind was off the land, 
and you could go anyway. 

Mr. Stoddard.—It wasn’t off the land, but it wasn’t a lee-shore. And 
he had plenty of time after he got his ship- 

Someone—Aren’t you master of the Centaur at this time? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir. He had plenty of time after he got his 
vessel on his course, or up to the wind, to turn out his reefs and make 
sail. 

Someone.—How was the wind at the time ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—The wind blowing- 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 21 

Someone.—I want to know how the wind was. I know how the 
land lays. 

Mr. Stoddard. I can’t tell you by the compass how it was blowing, 
but it was from the direction where the southeast wind comes in. 

Someone.—I know all about the lay of the land. 

Mr. Stoddard.—It was one of those southeast gales ; had the direc¬ 
tion they come in. 

Mr. Haynes.—The captain has the floor. 

Someone.—Yes, but I would like him to speak the truth. 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, that is right. 

Col. Craighill.—You will have an opportunity later. 

Mr. Stoddard.—As far as I am concerned, I will challenge anybody 
to investigate it and demonstrate what I say. 

Mr. T. E. Gibbon.—Captain, may I ask you one question, please? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Any question. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Did you ever know a ship to come into Santa Monica 
during your experience at that port? 

Mr. Stoddard.—A full rigged ship, I don’t. I recollect a bark. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Did you know anything about a ship called the Frank 
Austin attempting to make harbor there? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, I don’t know the Frank Austin. I don’t recol¬ 
lect it. If any more of these people want to come for me, I am ready 
for them. 

Col. Craighill.—Have you gentlemen any further questions? 

Mr. Carpenter.—I would like to ask you. Captain, before you close, 
to state to the Board the direction that a ship coming from Nicaragua 
or from other parts of the world would come, with reference to this 
part of the country. Do you understand ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Carpenter.—I wish you would explain that fully to them. 

Mr. Stoddard.—I suppose that any man coming from a foreign port 
here would make this coast here in the broad open passage, leaving 
Ana Capa and Santa Cruz Islands and San Miguel Islands and Santa 
Rosa on the left, on the port hand, and San Nicholas. It lays right in 
a fair way. You can make that fair way buoy, and go either side of it. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Come here and point out to the Board on the map. 

Mr. Stoddard.—Here would be the fair way passage, right here 
(indicating); either one side or the other, as circumstances might require, 
of San Nicholas Island, leaving these two, Clemente and Catalina, on 
his right, and these other islands on the left, and there would be a fair 
way in, with no interruption except little Santa Barbara. We can come 
here- 

Mr. Carpenter.—Come here. Where would the ship first reach this 
part of the country, this coast? 

Mr. Stoddard.—He would reach it right here, where his destination 
was. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, “ right here.” What is “ here ? ” 

Mr. Stoddard.—That is San Clemente Island, and that is right in the 
broad, in the fair way passage. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, what place does he get to there? 

Mr. Stoddard.—He gets to Santa Monica. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Ah! In coming from San Francisco, how would he 
come? 

Mr. Stoddard.—He would come the same way. He certainly 
wouldn’t go in between the mainland and Santa Cruz. And he might 
go down there coastward of the land. He might go in there. But, 
ordinarily, coming down the coast here from so far north, he would 
keep outside and go around here, Santa Rosa. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Suppose he wants to land at San Pedro, would he 
have to pass Santa Monica to go there ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—Yes, sir, he would have to pass it, sir. 


22 REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


Mr. Carpenter.—Well, now, if he comes from Nicaragua or elsewhere 
across the ocean ? 

Mr. Stoddard.—He would come right in here. He wouldn t have 
—the distance would be probably about the same. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, “right in here.” The stenographer won’t 
know where it is. Will you say what place, or near what place ? 

Mr. Stoddard—The approaches are at San Nicholas Island and at 
Santa Barbara Island; and if he is bound to San Pedro he would keep 
down the channel between Point Fermin and Catalina, and haul up to 
port there. But the distance wouldn’t be very widely different. 

Mr. Wells. Santa Monica still has the floor. I believe the Captain 
has got through. 

Mr. Stoddard.—One moment, if you please. I have been interro¬ 
gated on my side of the house, and I want to ask a question with regard 
to San Pedro. 

Mr. Craighill.—One minute, Captain. When the San Pedro people 
come on the floor again you will have an opportunity. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Where do we come in to interrogate the witnesses 
of San Pedro or anybody else? We understand we are not to say any¬ 
thing about San Pedro. They have closed and now we are at it; and 
when do we come in again ? 

Col. Craighill.—At the next innings. I will explain what my object 
is in having the successive arrangement. Next time San Pedro comes 
to the front I want the Santa Monica people to ask them as many ques¬ 
tions as they desire, or for anybody else to do so. And when Santa 
Monica comes up again they can ask them questions. What we want 
now is to have the advantages of each place brought forth prominently, 
and the next time the criticisms. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. President, and gentlemen of the Board. This 
is Captain Thompson. 

Mr. Thompson. —I don’t know I can add anything to the Captain’s 
testimony here, further than I have been about Santa Monica a number 
of times in small sailing vessels. Discharged lumber there ; that is, 
years ago. I have been at anchor there and gone out of there in a south¬ 
easter. I had no trouble at all in laying there; no obstructions going 
in, and good holding ground while we were in there. I don’t know as 
I can say any more. 

Col. Craighill.—Were you there in a good gale of wind ? 

Mr. Thompson. Well, pretty good southeaster. If we had been at 
San Pedro we should have done the same thing. 

Mr. Handbury.—You came to an anchor there, did you, or were you 
past the wharf ? 

Mr. Thompson.—We stayed until it blew heavy, and then we went 
out. 

Mr. Handbury.—What were you fast to when you were there? 

Mr. Thompson.—Our anchor held us; thirty fathoms of chain. 

Mr. Handbury.—What sized vessel were you in? 

Mr. Thompson.—The last vessel I was in there was of seventy-three 
tons, the John D. Semborne, an eastern vessel; came from Santa Cruz 
there with a cargo. 

Mr. Handbury.—How much did she draw? 

Mr. Thompson.—I have been there in a still smaller vessel than that. 
Perhaps it is as hard to hold small vessels as a large one. if the sea is 
heavy enough, and I don’t know but what harder. I have been in San 
Pedro a great many times in a southeaster. 

Mr. Handbury.—What is the character of the bottom there? 

Mr. Thompson —As near as I could judge as it states here on the 
chart, sand. That is the only way I can judge. I have never any neces¬ 
sity of sounding there, or anything of that kind. 

Mr. Handbury.—Do you know anything of a large vessel ever hav¬ 
ing ridden out a storm in those waters ? 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


23 


Mr. Thompson.—No, sir. 

Mr. Handbury. What we are trying to get at is whether there is 
anyone here that knows of a large vessel that has ridden out a storm 
there, so that we can get some fair idea of the holding ground. 

Mr. Thompson. I don’t know of any. I don’t know of anything 
^ f an sa ^' ^ there are any questions I can answer- 

Mr. Wells. That is all, then, the Board wishes to ask. Santa Mon¬ 
ica still has the floor. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Captain Ellis, Mr. President and gentlemen of the 
Board. 

Mr. Ellis.—Gentlemen, I have been for the last twelve years sailing 
on the coast in small vessels, as master; all along the coast, from San 
Pedro up. And the reason that I know of for building a breakwater at 
Santa Monica is that it is a better place to get in to for vessels coming 
from the southward, and also from the northward. From observation 
I should say, Oh, well nine vessels out of ten big ships that come around 
the Horn come to San Pedro. They all make Point Conception as the 
first land they make. After they make Point Conception they come 
down in this course. The reason they do that, they keep outside in the 
northeast wind until they get way to windward. As for instance, there 
is a bark now lying in Santa Barbara, and he says he got up very near 
the latitude of the Columbia river before he began to come down this 
way. Now, they all go the same way ; and when they come this way 
they come, as you see, they come off in this direction. That is the way 
they come in. And in coming in here, Santa Monica, there is nothing 
to prevent their coming right straight in. And, also, the wind is always 
better in this bay than it is down further, nearer San Pedro. Down in 
here between Catalina and San Pedro, as everybody knows, you often 
get becalmed. I have laid there for twenty-hours, floating around, and 
could get no wind at all; whereas, up on the upper coast there you 
always — most always get a land breeze off-coast, which will help you 
in or out. That is one advantage for Santa Monica. Another is, prac¬ 
tically nine months in the year we need no harbors. We have no gales 
to amount to anything. The only trouble with gales on this coast is 
from the southeast. They begin about east of southeast, and work 
around to the southward and westward, and generally wind up with a 
heavy northwest storm. Now, a vessel in Santa Monica— I don’t sup¬ 
pose it is presumed a big ship going in there would always get behind 
a breakwater, whether it was at San Pedro or Santa Monica. The 
chances are they would be lying outside, a great many times. Our 
southeasters come up very suddenly ; and when one came up in the 
night or early in the morning, as they generally come, a vessel could 
get out from Santa Monica when it would be impossible to get away 
from the anchorage in San Pedro. As you can see by the lay of the 
coast, that you can very easily lay out from Santa Monica, whereas you 
couldn’t from the anchorage in San Pedro. And that is one advantage 
in having a breakwater at Santa Monica. It is nearer of access, and it 
is a much better place to get into and a much better place to get out of. 
San Pedro in a southeaster, without a tow-boat, it is about impossible 
to get out. Santa Monica you could get out. There are no obsi ructions 
in the way. It is a large open bay. And for that reason I should say 
that Santa Monica would be the place to build the breakwater. 

Mr. Carpenter—Captain, did you ever try to strike the harbor of 
San Pedro with a southeaster, with your vessel? 

Mr. Ellis.—No. Whenever I have been there I have always been in 
small vessels, and gone inside. 

Mr. Handbury.—One moment, Captain. Whereabouts in this Santa 
Monica bay would be a preferable location for a breakwater? 

Mr. Ellis.—The nearer up under this shore in my opinion would be 
the better place. 

Mr. Handbury.—Further to the northward. 


24 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


Mr. Ellis.—I should say so, yes, sir. 

Mr. Handbury.—Why would it be better there than down at the 
other end of the bay? 

Mr. Ellis.—The wind and sea comes from this direction. Of course 
Point Dumas protects it in a measure, and as you get outside of that 
you get much more sea on this coast there than you do on this shore 
here. In regard to the holding ground at Santa Monica, I think it is as 
good as at San Pedro, but I think there is no trouble at either place. 

Mr. Handbury.—Have you had any practical experience in the hold¬ 
ing ground ? 

Mr. Ellis.—I have anchored, as you see on the map, all along that 
upper shore there along the coast, and I have always found good hold¬ 
ing ground. I have never actually anchored in Santa Monica, because— 

Mr. Handbury.—Anywhere along in that Santa Monica bay? 

Mr. Ellis.—Along this shore, yes, sir. I have anchored along this 
shore at various times, and always found good holding ground. I never 
actually anchored in Santa Monica; and you can’t get testimony from 
people who have actually anchored there, because there has been very 
little use of their going there. It hasn’t been a commercial port, like 
San Pedro. And there has very few sea captains ever gone in there 
and actually laid there. 

Mr. Handbury.—We understand that. What we want to know 
more particularly about is the holding ground. 

Mr. Ellis.—The holding ground is good. I have never actually an¬ 
chored there, but I have anchored along this upper coast. 

Mr. Raymond.—You have anchored, Captain, at San Pedro, have 
you not? 

Mr. Ellis.—I have. 

Mr. Handbury.— From what directions do your worst swells come 
in this bay? 

Mr. Ellis.—You mean through the majority of the year? 

Mr. Handbury.—Yes. 

Mr. Ellis.—Well, about west, northwest. 

Mr. Handbury.—But when you have — in stormy weather, when you 
are liable to have a storm that would drive you away, and you want 
shelter? 

Mr. Ellis.—When we have a storm the wind comes from this direc¬ 
tion, generally. It commences about east-southeast, and it works 
around in this direction, and generally winds up from the northwest. 

Mr. Handbury.—You have your greatest swells, then, at what time? 
When the wind is coming from the northwest, do you, or when it is 
from the other direction? 

Mr. Ellis.—The early part of the storm we have them from the 
southeast, and later on trom the northwest. 

Mr. Handbury.—Then this rocky point down there, Point Vincent, 
and those points, would protect you in the first part of the storm. 

Mr. Ellis.—They would, yes, sir. And there is very little room to 
get up a sea here when the southeaster begins. 

Mr. Handbury.—Then the further down you would get your break¬ 
water under those circumstances, the nearer underneath that, you would 
be better protected, wouldn’t you? 

Mr. Ellis.—If I was going to build a breakwater I would build one 
where it would be the most service the greater part of the year. Ten 
months in the year our wind and sea is from the westward, and about 
two months in the year at various times we have southeast storms. 

Mr. Handbury.—Those are the violent storms that you want to be 
protected from? 

Mr. Ellis.—Those are the storms you want to get away from. 

Mr. Handbury.—The ordinary summer storm, if I understand the 
situation up there, you don’t need much protection from. 

Mr. Ellis.—No, sir, it is from the southeast storms, which come in 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


25 


this direction and go across from here; and then you have room to get 
out of Santa Monica. It is nearer coming down the coast, because the 
vessels make higher up. It is nearer both ways — from the north and 
from the south. 

Mr. Robert.—I didn’t understand, Captain, which swell was the 
worst during the progresss of the storm. 

Col. Craighill.—How long does the storm last, generally? 

Mr. Ellis.—Oh, sometimes twenty-four hours, and sometimes two or 
three days. 

Mr. Robert.—Now, the swell is the worst during what part of the 
storm ? 

Mr. Ellis.—Well, I should say the southeast swell was the worst, 
outside. 

Mr. Robert.—At the beginning of the storm? 

Mr. Ellis—Yes, sir, and in the height of the storm. 

Mr. Handbury.—You say “outside.” Do you mean outside here, 
or- 

Mr. Ellis.—I mean outside of the islands, where the wind gets a 
chance to sweep up and down. 

Mr. Handbury.—We are speaking about the bay. When is the 
worst swell there ; what part of the storm ? 

Mr. Ellis.—Well, I don’t think there could be a great deal of swell 
in there at any time until it gets around to the westward. 

Mr. Handbury.—Then the westward, then. 

Mr. Fllis.—The latter part of the storm. 

Mr. Handbury.—The westward, then. 

Mr. Ellis.—I should think there would be more swell during the 
storm at Santa Monica in the latter part of the gale than in the fore 
part. 

Mr. Handbury.—From your practical experience and from your 
practical knowledge. 

Mr. Ellis.—I have never been in Santa Monica in a southeaster. 

Mr. Shorb.—Captain, will you permit me to ask one question ? What 
has been the size of your vessels that you have anchored along in the 
bay of Santa Monica? 

Mr. Ellis.—They have all been small vessels, under thirty tons. As 
I say, you get very little testimony from big ships, because they have 
never been in there. They have had no occasion to go there. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Do you happen to know, Captain, if the Charleston 
was anchored off there at Santa Monica? 

Mr. Ellis.—Merely from hearsay. 

Someone.—I know it. 

Mr. Wells.—Has any member of the Board any further questions to 
ask, gentlemen? 

Col. Craighill.—No sir. 

Mr. Wells.—That will be all. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Gillett, gentlemen, and he is the assistant chief 
engineer of the Southern Pacific. 

Mr. Gillet.—In May and June of this year I was engaged in making 
borings at this proposed site, for a breakwater, or for a wharf at Santa 
Monica; and I have here a pri file showing the character of the material 
found by those borings. That I will show to you. The character of the 
material is indicated by the different colors. The borings are made 
from twelve to twenty-five feei in depth, into the bottom, and the dis¬ 
tances apart of from one hundred and fifty or two hundn-d feet to four 
or five hundred feet, according to whether they are variable or not. 

Someone —Mr. Chairman, many of the gentlemen who are interested 
in hearing these statements cannot understand the_genlleman at all. 
We would like to hear both sides. 

Mr. Gillett.—I am willing to speak as loud as I can. 


4 


28 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


Thursday, September 8, 1892, 2 o’clock, p.m. 

Mr. Wells—Come to order, gentlemen. It is in order to continue 
with the presentation of the case of Santa Monica. 

Mr. Carpenter.—We will call Mr. Charles Monroe. We want you to 
state to the Board the means of access of other railroads to the harbor 
at Santa Monica, if one is constructed. Mr. Monroe, you are an attor¬ 
ney at law, I believe. 

Mr. Charles Monroe.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Carpenter.—You represent Jones & Baker, do you not? 

Mr. Monroe.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Large land owners near Santa Monica. 

Mr. Monroe.—Our firm does—Wells, Monroe & Lee. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, now, will you state what means other railroads 
have of getting into the harbor there? 

Mr. Monroe.—Well, I shall have to state that from the standpoint of 
a lawyer, and what was done down there. Last fall the Southern 
Pacific instituted condemnation proceedings to obtain a right of way 
up the beach for their railroad to the location of the proposed whwrf. 
These condemnation proceedings, as I understood it, contemplated the 
obtaining of one hundred feet. Messrs. Jones & Baker contested that, 
and contested that on the ground solely that they were afraid that would 
prejudice other railroad companies that desired to come in there Before 
the case came to a hearing, the railroad company and Jones & Baker 
agreed ; Jones & Baker agreeing, on certain conditions, to grant to the 
Southern Pacific railroad company a right of way of fifiy feet in width. 
In their instructions to us, and in the conferences with the railroad com¬ 
pany where I was present, it was stated by Jones & Baker and by myself 
at their direction, that they would not grant any right of way and would 
contest the giving of any right of way to the Southern Pacific that 
would prevent other roads from going in. But they did agree to give 
fifty feet, providing it was taken immediately under the bluf£ The 
Southern Pacific had made a survey, and their stakes were along under 
the bluff. We went down there and Mr. Jones and Mr. Baker, I think 
Mr. Stone of the Southern Pacific, and some of the other officers of the 
Southern Pacific; and Mr. Jones and Colonel Baker then stated that 
they were satisfied with the right of way of the stakes indicated where 
it was; but that railroads had a habit sometimes of throwing their track 
over, where the right of way was given as so many feet on each side of 
the center of the track, and so not having it in a fixed place. If it could 
be arranged so that it should always be where the stakes were, they 
were content with that. So that a demand was made of the Southern 
Pacific field notes. The field notes were then verified by the engineer 
of Jones & Baker, and the description put in the deed was the field 
notes furnished and verified; so that they are tied up to a particular 
location. This right of way of fifty feet along the beaph, as I say, is 
close under the bluff; and I don’t know that I can locate it exactly at 
the bath house on what is- known as the north beach, and there the edge 
of the right of way toward the ocean does not come within—nearer 
than about ten feet of the rear of the bath house. So that I should 
judge there was somewhere from one hundred to one hundred and fifty 
feet between their right of way and high-water mark. There is quite a 
large distance. I may be wrong in the figures, but there is quite a dis¬ 
tance. There is the whole width of that building, and a good deal of 
the beach besides before getting to the high water mark. And that is 
the condition all the way up the beach. And I might add that—I don’t 
know but what I have said that in all the conferences between Jones & 
Baker and the railroad company, the main idea with Jones & Baker 
was that they wanted to leave plenty of room there so that other rail¬ 
roads could get in, and we believe that we have done that, and I think 
it has been done. There is plenty of room there. And their anxiety 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


25 


this direction and go across from here ; and then you have room to get 
out of Santa Monica. It is nearer coming down the coast, because the 
vessels make higher up. It is nearer both ways —from the north and 
from the south. 

Mr* Robert. I didn’t understand, Captain, which swell was the 
worst during the progresss of the storm. 

Col. Craighill.—How long does the storm last, generally? 

Mr. Ellis.—Oh, sometimes twenty-four hours, and sometimes two or 
three days. 

Mr. Robert.—Now, the swell is the worst during what part of the 
storm ? 

Mr. Ellis.—Well, I should say the southeast swell was the worst, 
outside. 

Mr. Robert.—At the beginning of the storm? 

Mr. Ellis—Yes, sir, and in the height of the storm. 

Mr. Handbury.—You say “outside.’’ Do you mean outside here, 
or- 

Mr. Ellis.—I mean outside of the islands, where the wind gets a 
chance to sweep up and down. 

Mr. Handbury.—We are speaking about the bay. When is the 
worst swell there; what part of the storm? 

Mr. Ellis.—Well, I don’t think there could be a great deal of swell 
in there at any time until it gets around to the westward. 

Mr. Handbury.—Then the westward, then. 

Mr. Fliis.—The latter part of the storm. 

Mr. Handbury.—The westward, then. 

Mr. Ellis.—I should think there would be more swell during the 
storm at Santa Monica in the latter part of the gale than in the fore 
part. 

Mr. Handbury.—From your practical experience and from your 
practical knowledge. 

Mr. Ellis.—I have never been in Santa Monica in a southeaster. 

Mr. Suorb.—Captain, will you permit me to ask one question ? What 
has been the size of your vessels that you have anchored along in the 
bay of Santa Monica? 

Mr. Ellis.—They have all been small vessels, under thirty tons. As 
I say, you get very little testimony from big ships, because they have 
never been in there. They have had no occasion to go there. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Do you happen to know, Captain, if the Charleston 
was anchored off there at Santa Monica? 

Mr. Ellis.—Merely from hearsay. 

Someone.—I know it. 

Mr. Wells.—Has any member of the Board any further questions to 
ask, gentlemen? 

Col. Craighill.—No sir. 

Mr. Wells.-That will be all. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Giliett, gentlemen, and he is the assistant chief 
engineer of the Southern Pacific. 

Mr. Gillet.—In May and June of this year I was engaged in making 
borings at this proposed site, for a breakwater, or for a wharf at Santa 
Monica; and I have here a profile showing the character of the material 
found by those borings. That I will show to you. The character of the 
material is indicated by the different colors. The borings are made 
from twelve to twenty-five feet in depth, into the bottom, and the dis¬ 
tances apart of from one hundred and fifty or two hundred feet to four 
or five hundred feet, acco'ding to whether they are variable or not. 

Someone —Mr. Chairman, many of the gentlemen who are interested 
in hearing these statements cannot understand the gentleman at all. 
We would like to hear both sides. 

Mr. Giliett.—I am willing to speak as loud as I can. 


4 


28 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


Thursday, September 8, 1892, 2 o’clock, p.m. 

Mr. Wells.—Come to order, gentlemen. It is in order to continue 
with the presentation of the case of Santa Monica. 

Mr. Carpenter.—We will call Mr. Charles Monroe. We want you to 
state to the Board the means of access of other railroads to the harbor 
at Santa Monica, if one is constructed. Mr. Monroe, you are an attor¬ 
ney at law, I believe. 

Mr. Charles Monroe.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Carpenter.—You represent Jones & Baker, do you not? 

Mr. Monroe.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Large land owners near Santa Monica. 

Mr. Monroe.—Our firm does—Wells, Monroe & Lee. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, now, will you state what means other railroads 
have of getting into the harbor there? 

Mr. Monroe.—Well, I shall have to state that from the standpoint of 
a lawyer, and what was done down there. Last fall the Southern 
Pacific instituted condemnation proceedings to obtain a right of way 
up the beach for their railroad to the location of the proposed wh^rf. 
These condemnation proceedings, as I understood it, contemplated the 
obtaining of one hundred feet. Messrs. Jones & Baker contested that, 
and contested that on the ground solely that they were afraid that would 
prejudice other railroad companies that desired to come in there Before 
the case came to a hearing, the railroad company and Jones & Baker 
agreed; Jones & Baker agreeing, on certain conditions, to grant to the 
Southern Pacific railroad company a right of way of fifiy feet in width. 
In their instructions to us, and in the conferences with the railroad com¬ 
pany where I was present, it was stated by Jones & Baker and by myself 
at their direction, that they would not grant any right of way and would 
contest the giving of any right of way to the Southern Pacific that 
would prevent other roads from going in. But they did agree to give 
fifty feet, providing it was taken immediately under the bluff. The 
Southern Pacific had made a survey, and their stakes were along under 
the bluff. We went down there and Mr. Jones and Mr. Baker, I think 
Mr. Stone of the Southern Pacific, and some of the other officeis of the 
Southern Pacific; and Mr. Jones and Colonel Baker then stated that 
they were satisfied with the right of way of the stakes indicated where 
it was; but that railroads had a habit sometimes of throwing their track 
over, where the right of way was given as so many feet on each side of 
the center of the track, and so not having it in a fixed place. If it could 
be arranged so that it should always be where the stakes were, they 
were content with that. So that a demand was made of the Southern 
Pacific field notes. The field notes were then verified by the engineer 
of Jones & Baker, and the description put in the deed was the field 
notes furnished and verified; so that they are tied up to a particular 
location. This right of way of fifty feet along the beach, as I say, is 
close under the bluff; and I don’t know that I can locate it exactly at 
the bath house on what is known as the north beach, and there the edge 
of the right of way toward the ocean does not come within—nearer 
than about ten feet of the rear of the bath house. So that I should 
judge there was somewhere from one hundred to one hundred and fiftv 
feet between their right of way and high-water mark. There is quite a 
large distance. I may be wrong in the figures, but there is quite a dis¬ 
tance. There is the whole width of that building, and a good deal of 
the beach besides before getting to the high water mark. And that is 
the condition all the way up the beach. And I might add that—I don’t 
know but what I have said that in all the conferences between Jones & 
Baker and the railroad company, the main idea with Jones & Baker 
was that they wanted to leave plenty of room there so that other rail* 
roads could get in, and we believe that we have done that, and I think 
it has been done. There is plenty of room there. And their anxiety 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


29 


all the time was that other railroads should get there. They are very 
anxious to have as many roads there as can come. 

Mr. Carpenter.—That is all, unless the commission wish to ask you 
something. 

Mr. A. M. Stephens.—I would like to ask a question or two, with the 
permission of the honorable Board. How far up the coast does this 
grant which Messrs. Jones & Baker gave to the railroad extend, with 
reference to the old wharf at Santa Monica? 

Mr. Monroe—-It runs up to Santa Monica Canon, and then I think — 
that is the first piece. There is another grant beyond there. Now, I 
have brought with me a copy of the deed, which I would be very glad 
to submit to the Board, if they care to see it. That gives a description 
of the right of way granted, by the field notes. 

Mr. Stephens.—Are you speaking now of the grant made by Messrs. 
Jones & Baker? 

Mr. Monroe.—Yes. 

Mr. Stephens.—Which extends up to the old canon? 

Mr. Monroe.—It extends up to the canon. And then there is 
another piece beginning further up. As I recollect it now. the land 
immediately north of the canon does not belong to Jones & B^ker, 
that is my recollection, but still above there there is some that does; and 
right of way over that was also included in the grant. 

Mr. Stephens.—Now, with respect to the projected pier which is 
partly constructed by the Souihern Pacific railroad, how near does the 
Jones & Baker grant come to that? 

Mr. Monroe.—My recollection is, I am not positive about that, but 
my recollection is that immediately at the pier they owned land and did 
give a strip of land immediately above the pier, I think beginning below 
the pier, I am not certain about that, for a roundhouse. That is my 
recollection of it now, that that was one of the pieces. 

Mr. Stephens.—But the distance from the old wharf of Santa Monica, 
the old canon, to the pier, can you give us that? 

Mr. Monroe.—I can’t give that. 

Mr. Stephens.—That space in there, you have no idea as to the title ? 

Mr. Monroe.—I have no idea about that, or about anything except 
what is contained in the deed from Jones & Baker. 

Mr. Stephens.—Isn’t that a narrow pass, bounded upon the north by 
extremely high hills and upon the south by the ocean ? 

Mr. Monroe.—I have never been above the canon, and know noth¬ 
ing about it. 

Mr. Stephens.—And that exact distance you do not know? 

Mr. Monroe.—That I do not know. My knowledge of the locality 
is simply up to the canon, and my knowledge of the descriptions is sim¬ 
ply what was given by the engineer and put into the deed. 

Mr. Stephens.—But you know that the grant which you have 
described does not extend up to the shore end of the pier. 

Mr. Monroe. Not without a break, as I understand it. Is that all ? 

Mr. Wells —That is all, then, Mr. Monroe. We are ready for the 
next, Judge Carpenter. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Crawley, gentlemen; assistant freight and pas¬ 
senger agent of the Southern Pacific railroad. 

Mr. Wells.—Mr. Crawley, you have the floor. 

Mr. Crawley.—Well, in response to any question, or to start in 

myself? , . 

Col. Craighill.—You may make any statement you think proper. 

Mr. Crawley.—Well, speaking from a commercial point of view, and 
and which has been demonstrated by the fact that the Redondo Rail¬ 
way Company has secured considerable business, not on account of any, 
in my opinion location or facilities, but simply in the question of time. 
I think if there was a deep sea harbor at Santa Monica that great saving 
of time could be made on freight and passengers from the north. They 


32 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


the desire to take from the Redondo wharf the business which they 
have taken from the San Pedro wharf? 

Mr. Crawley.—I don’t look at it that way. The building of that 
wharf, so far as I know, is simply to better the conditions of commerce; 
to give better facilities to the commercial man to ship his freight and 
receive his freight than at present exist. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Better facilities than the Redondo wharf at the pres¬ 
ent time affords ? 

Mr. Crawley.—Above any. 

Mr. Gibbon.—It is a fact, is it not, that the Redondo wharf— 

Mr. Wells.—I beg pardon, but I think it is the desire of the Board to 
confine this examination strictly to the merits of Santa Monica. 

Mr. Gibbon.—This is simply a series of questions intending to get at 
the matter of Santa Monica. This is the last question, before I reach 
the Santa Monica matter, I desire to ask. It is a fact that most of this 
commerce now is carried on very conveniently by the Redondo wharf? 

Mr. Crawley.—A great portion of it. 

Mr. Gibbon.—What is the d.fference in time between Santa Monica 
and Redondo by steamer? An hour? 

Mr. Crawley.—I should say nearly six. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Six? 

Mr. Crawley.—Five or six hours, yes. 

Mr. Gibbon.—That a steamer would reach Santa Monica five or six 
hours before it would reach Redondo ? 

Mr. Crawley.—It depends upon the cargo that has to be unloaded at 
Santa Monica. 

Mr. Gibbon.—I am not speaking about unloading,.now; simply the 
question of time of reaching the two points. 

Mr. Crawley.—Well, I should say about an hour and a half or two 
hours. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Then, in point of fact, the only difference in the hand¬ 
ling of this freight is about an hour and a half or two hours, as between 
Redondo and Santa Monica? 

Mr. Crawley.—No sir. There is the time consumed in lowering the 
cargo from the steamer. 

Mr. Gibbon.—They would have to unload, of course, at Redondo or 
Santa Monica, either one, of course. 

Mr. Crawley.—But there would be time consumed in unloading at 
Santa Monica wharf. That time must be added to the difference of the 
running time between Santa Mon ca and Redondo. 

Mr. Gibbon.—But that time would be consumed at Redondo just the 
same. 

Mr. Crawley.—Exactly. 

Mr. Gibbon.—So the difference would be the difference in time 
between the arrivals of the steamer. 

Mr. Crawley.—Oh, no. You must add to that the time consumed in 
unloading the freight. 

Mr. Gibbon.—We are speaking—inasmuch as that time would be 
the same at either place, of course the time at one place offsets the time 
at the other. 

Col. Craighill.— Speaking of the same freight at either place? 

Mr. Gibbon.—Yes, sir. If it took you but four hours to unload at 
Santa Monica it would take you the same time at Redondo. 

Mr. Crawley.—But you must add that four to the two; that makes 
six. And then add four more ; that makes ten, at San Pedro. 

Mr. Gibbon —I am speaking of Redondo. The only difference 
would be the difference in the distance which the schooner has to go as 
between Santa Monica and Redondo, which you say would be about an 
hour and a half. Isn’t that true ? 

Mr. ( rawley.—No, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Why not? 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


29 


all the time was that other railroads should get there. They are very 
anxious to have as many roads there as can come. 

Mr. Carpenter.—That is all, unless the commission wish to ask you 
something. 

Mr. A. M. Stephens.—I would like to ask a question or two, with the 
permission of the honorable Board. How far up the coast does this 
grant which Messrs. Jones & Baker gave to the railroad extend, with 
reference to the old wharf at Santa Monica? . 

Mr. Monroe —-It runs up to Santa Monica Canon, and then I think — 
that is the first piece. There is another grant beyond there. Now, I 
have brought with me a copy of the deed, which 1 would be very glad 
to submit to the Board, if they care to see it. That gives a description 
of the right of way granted, by the field notes. 

Mr. Stephens.—Are you speaking now of the grant made by Messrs. 
Jones & Baker? 

Mr. MonrQe.—Yes. 

Mr. Stephens.—Which extends up to the old canon? 

Mr. Monroe.—It extends up to the canon. And then there is 
another piece beginning further up. As I recollect it now. the land 
immediately north of the canon does not belong to Jones & Bnker, 
that is my recollection, but still above there there is some that does; and 
right of way over that was also included in the grant. 

Mr. Stephens.—Now, with respect to the projected pier which is 
partly constructed by the Southern Pacific railroad, how near does the 
Jones & Baker grant come to that? 

Mr. Monroe.—My recoilection is, I am not positive about that, but 
my recollection is that immediately at the pier they owned land and did 
give a strip of land immediately above the pier, I think beginning below 
the pier, I am not certain about that, for a roundhouse. That is my 
recollection of it now, that that was one of the pit ces. 

Mr. Stephens.—But the distance from the old wharf of Santa Monica, 
the old canon, to the pier, can you give us that? 

Mr. Monroe.—I can’t give that. 

Mr. Stephens.—That space in there, you have no idea as to the title ? 

Mr. Monroe.—I have no idea about that, or about anything except 
what is contained in the deed from Jones & Baker. 

Mr. Stephens.—Isn’t that a narrow pass, bounded upon the north by 
extremely high hills and upon the south by the ocean? 

Mr. Monroe.—I have never been above the canon, and know noth¬ 
ing about it. 

Mr. Stephens.—And that exact distance you do not know? 

Mr. Monroe.—That I do not know. My knowledge of the locality 
is simply up to the canon, and my knowledge of the descriptions is sim¬ 
ply what was given by the engineer and put into the deed. 

Mr. Stephens.—But you know that the grant which you have 
described does not extend up to the shore end of the pier. 

Mr. Monroe. Not without a break, as I understand it. Is that all ? 

Mr. Wells—That is all, then, Mr. Monroe. We are ready for the 
next, Judge Carpenter. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Crawley, gentlemen; assistant freight and pas¬ 
senger agent of the Southern Pacific railroad. 

Mr. Wells.—Mr. Crawley, you have the floor. 

Mr. Crawley.—Well, in response to any question, or to start in 
myself? 

Col. Craighill.—You may make any statement you think proper. 

Mr. Crawley.—Well, speaking from a commercial point of view, and 
and which has been demonstrated by the fact that the Redondo Rail¬ 
way Company has secured considerable business, not on account of any, 
in my opinion location or facilities, but simply in the question of time. 
I think if there was a deep sea harbor at Santa Monica that great saving 
of time could be made on freight and passengers from the north. They 


32 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


the desire to take from the Redondo wharf the business which they 
have taken from the San Pedro wharf? 

Mr. Crawley.—I don’t look at it that way. The building of that 
wharf, so far as I know, is simply to better the conditions of commerce; 
to give better facilities to the commercial man to ship his freight and 
receive his freight than at present exist. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Better facilities than the Redondo wharf at the pres¬ 
ent time affords ? 

Mr. Crawley.—Above any. 

Mr. Gibbon.—It is a fact, is it not, that the Redondo wharf— 

Mr. Wells.—I beg pardon, but I think it is the desire of the Board to 
confine this examination strictly to the merits of Santa Monica. 

Mr. Gibbon.—This is simply a series of questions intending to get at 
the matter of Santa Monica. This is the last question, before I reach 
the Santa Monica matter, I desire to ask. It is a fact that most of this 
commerce now is carried on very conveniently by the Redondo wharf? 

Mr. Crawley.—A great portion of it. 

Mr. Gibbon.—What is the difference in time between Santa Monica 
and Redondo by steamer? An hour? 

Mr. Crawley.—I should say nearly six. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Six? 

Mr. Crawley.—Five or six hours, yes. 

Mr. Gibbon.—That a steamer would reach Santa Monica five or six 
hours before it would reach Redondo ? 

Mr. Crawley.—It depends upon the cargo that has to be unloaded at 
Santa Monica. 

Mr. Gibbon.—I am not speaking about unloading, now; simply the 
question of time of reaching the two points. 

Mr. Crawley.—Well, I should say about an hour and a half or two 
hours. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Then, in point of fact, the only difference in the hand¬ 
ling of this freight is about an hour and a half or two hours, as between 
Redondo and Santa Monica? 

Mr. Crawley.—No sir. There is the time consumed in lowering the 
cargo from the steamer. 

Mr. Gibbon.—They would have to unload, of course, at Redondo or 
Santa Monica, either one, of course. 

Mr. Crawley.—But there would be time consumed in unloading at 
Santa Monica wharf. That time must be added to the difference of the 
running time between Santa Mon ca and Redondo. 

Mr. Gibbon.—But that time would be consumed at Redondo just the 
same. 

Mr. Crawley.—Exactly. 

Mr. Gibbon.—So the difference would be the difference in time 
between the arrivals of the si earner. 

Mr. Crawley.—Oh, no. You must add to that the time consumed in 
unloading the freight. 

Mr. Gibbon.—We are speaking—inasmuch as that time would be 
the same at either place, of course the time at one place offsets the time 
at the other. 

Col. Craighill.—Speaking of the same freight at either place? 

Mr. Gibbon.—Yes, sir. If it took you but four hours to unload at 
Santa Monica it would take you the same time at Redondo. 

Mr. Crawley.—But you must add that four to the two; that makes 
six. And then add four more ; that makes ten, at San Pedro. 

Mr. Gibbon —I am speaking of Redondo. The only difference 
would be the difference in the distance which the schooner has to go as 
between Santa Monica and Redondo, which you say would be about an 
hour and a half. Isn’t that true? 

Mr. ( rawley.—No, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Why not? 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


33 


Mr. Crawley.—You must add the time consumed in getting the 
freight out of the vessel. 

Mr. Gibbon.—But you consume the same time at either point. 

Mr. Ci awley.— But Redondo is an after consideration. Santa Monica 
comes first. By the time we got the Santa Monica freight in Los 
Angeles ihat we would get at our dock, the next wharf would have 
their freight unloaded at the whatf. 

Mr. Gibbon—Take it now that there is no wharf at Santa Monica. 
The freight at Redondo would reach this town, supposing the steamers 
stopped there first, only about two hours later than it would if landed 
at Santa Monica. 

Mr. Crawley.—Oh, no, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Why not ? 

Mr. Crawley.—It would be the time consumed in getting the freight 
out at Redondo added to the diffeience in time between Redondo and 
San Pedro. 

Mr. Gibbon.—But you would consume that same time at Santa 
Monica. 

Mr. Crawley.—You do, but that is the first stop, my friend. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Yes. That is all. 

Mr. Wells.—Have you any further statements to make? 

Mr. Crawley—No, sir, unless the gentlemen have some questions. 

Mr. Wells.—Unless the Board has further questions, that will be all. 
I wish to say the Board desires to get through today, if possible, and I 
hope no one will think I am crowding matters if I urge haste and ask 
your representatives to confine themselves to the essential points just 
as much as it is possible and make them clear. Judge Carpenter. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. President, and gentlemen oi the Board. I will 
now introduce Mr. Hood, the chief engineer of the Southern Pacific 
Company. And I will ask Mr. Hood to go over the ground gone over 
this morning—you are familiar with it—in your own way. 

Mr. William Hood.—Mr. Chairman, I am ready for any questions 
that yourself or Board wish to ask. 

Col. Craighill.—Well, I will say with reference to Mr. Hood that, as 
far as the engineering questions are concerned, we don’t care to have 
them touched on before this meeting at all. As Lr as the engineering 
questions are concerned, we propose to have a special interview with 
Mr. Hood, as well as theoiher engineers of the road and other interests 
involved ; and I think that is a matter with which this meeting has 
nothing to do. 

Mr. Hood.—Mr. Chairman, there have been questions touched on 
here in such a way that I feel it might be appropriate for me to refer to 
them. 

Col, Craighill.—Yes. 

Mr. Hood —As I understand it, the present stage of the inquiry is 
confined to Santa Monica, but to a certain extent 1 can hardly answer 
questions about the one without somewhat touching on the other. One 
of the early speakers in this c< n'erence said that it was due to the pub¬ 
lic as well as to the Board that the question be asked why the Southern 
Pacific Company advocated the building of great public improvements 
at Santa Monica in a pos-tion where they will surely get all the benefit 
of it; and I am prepared to answer that question to the Board or to any 
one who wishes to ask for ue ails, or to volunteer an answer, as may be 
desired. 

Lieut.-Col. Robert.—We would like to have you answer. 

Mr. Hood —Yes. In the first place, in connection with that matter, 
I will submit to 'he Board a map on tracing cloth which shows exactly 
the property either owned or claimed, or in any other way affected by 
the Southern Pacific Railroad, or Southern Pacific company’s interest 
(exhibiting map to the Board). Secondly, I will show, after this has 


5 


34 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


been sufficiently inspected, a map showing all the property owned, 
claimed, or in any way controlled by the respective railroad companies 
whom I represent to a cettain extent, or by the individual members 
thereof, at San Pedro. Any possible claim or interest that the company 
possesses at either point is shown on these two maps. I think that these 
two maps, in combination with and also as illustrating the remarks of the 
attorney of Jones & Baker, will show clearly that the Southern Pacific rail¬ 
road company has a preponderance of land interests and improvement 
interests at San Pedro ; and, that being so, that the whole question will be 
very promptly dropped. This, gentlemen, colored in red or carmine is 
absolutely the entire property owned and claimed by the Southern Pacific 
railroad, which you all know is leased by the Southern Pacific Company. 
It is the same thing, as far as you are concerned. This map also shows 
that the town of Santa Monica exists to a certain extent on the coast; 
shows that Jones & Baker own up to a certain point in Santa Monica 
canon ; shows that other private parties own in Santa Monica canon. 
Jones & Baker own to the westward of the wharf to a distance too far 
for this map to show, which you have no further interest in, I imagine. 
And here is a tract abutting on the land adjoining the wharf, known as 
the Santa Monica Heights Tract. Now, that has been referred to as a 
very important piece of property for the Southern Pacific railroad. To 
the best of my knowledge, that property belongs essentially and in fact 
to Mr. C. P. Huntington; and, to the best of my knowledge, being a piece 
of property which abuts on the ocean, with a bluff one hundred and 
seventy-five feet, vertical, in height; and, to the best of my knowledge 
and according to his assertions and according to all probability, that 
property was purchased as a matter of real estate, and he informed me 
to be given to one of his relatives. His nephew has also informed me 
the same thing. But it cuts no figure at all. We are willing to let it 
stand as railroad property, if you like. It makes no difference. It is a 
piece of property that can by no possibility be utilized for port purposes. 

Major Raymond.—Between the bluff of Santa Monica, that large 
canon, and the wharf. 

Mr. Hood.—It abuts on the water. 

M^jor Raymond.—Yes, it is right on the water. 

Mr. Gibbon.—It carries the title to the water. 

Mr. Hood.—It carries the title to the water to the usual limit. And 
our sidetracks that we propose to use in connection with the wharf are 
immediately in front of and upon that land. Now, this company does 
have more property from Jones & Baker than has been represented, 
simply from negligence in detail. It does have a tract of land fifty feet 
on one side and seventy-five feet on the other, just at Santa Monica 
canon, just for station purposes. It does have a hundred feet in widih 
through the other owners and through the Santa Monica Heights Tract. 
It does have a small piece of land on the point for engine purposes. 
Further than that, through the Jones & Baker Tract and through Santa 
Monica, it has a piece of land only fifty feet wide, but so adjusted in 
reference to the center line of the railroad that we can readily put in 
another track on the ocean side. In other words, instead of being 
twenty-five feet on each side of the center line, it is thirty-one and one- 
half feet to the ocean side from the center of our track, and only eight¬ 
een feet and a half upon the bluff side. That is with our deliberate inten¬ 
tion of putting in a double track there in the near future to handle the 
large business we expect. Aside from that there is a distance, averag¬ 
ing fully from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet wide, the least 
is a hundred, and from that to one hundred and fifty, between our right 
of way and the ocean; where, as has been said, there is ample access 
for half a dozen railroads wiih as much facilities as we have; and I hope 
you will see them there, if they want to come. 

In addition to that, the size of this breakwater, perhaps, does not 
seem to be appreciated. There have been errors in the statement of 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


35 


figures. The lowest size of the breakwater that was ever proposed by 
the former Board at Santa Monica, in a situation further to the east, 
was 8250 feet long, or considerably more than a mile and a half. I say 
freely that the Southern Pacific favors in place of that, not critically, 
but because we conceive it to be to our interests, a location at the other 
side, the necessary length of breakwater to be subject to proper ap¬ 
proval, eighty-four hundred feet long, commencing ju>t to the westerly 
of our coast wharf, and extending westwardly to the Santa Monica town 
limits; that is, to opposite the Santa Monica town limits, leaving this 
entire space free for anybody and everybody to be situated exactly as 
well as the Southern Pacific railroad company. And you will notice — 
not to take any credit for it—but we have incidentally placed the 
improvements that are now going on there to the extreme westward 
limit, furthest from the town; or north of it, if you prefer to use the 
term, of the proposed protected area of the breakwater. There is cer¬ 
tainly a chance for as much wharfage to go out under other control than 
the Southern Pacific, in such protected area as there is in half of the 
entire present frontage of San Francisco. I think that will settle that 
question; but, at any rate, I will leave this on file with you, if you will 
acc pt it. 

Col. Craighill.—Certainly. 

Mr. Shorb.—May I ask you one question? 

Mr. Hood.—Certainly. 

Mr. Snorb.—If the chairman will permit me. You state that your 
company, or the one for which you are representative here, that you 
put the wharf at the extreme western limits for the purpose of leaving 
all this- 

Mr. Hood.—Excuse me. 

Mr. Shorb—Fiee, for purposes to be hereafter enjoyed by competing 
companies, did I understand you to say? 

Mr. Hood —No, sir, you misunderstood me entirely. I said we 
claimed no credit for any such public spirit, although we sometimes 
ought to get it; but I said incidentally, as can be very readily identified. 
We have done it for motives I don't touch on ; motives you can infer 
yourself. We claim no motives. We have none. 

Mr. Stephens.—May I ask, if you please? It is proposed to project 
a breakwater oceanward from a point beyond your pier. How far 
north? 

Mr. Hood.—I should have to refer to the chart that was left here by 
Mr. Gillett this morning, in blue print. But essentially it may be said 
to be four thousand feet. That is—understand. We are not proposing 
any breakwater. We are not proposing its position, or any plan. We 
are proposing a general position, nothing more. It is not our province, 
the province of the railroad company, to say to a Board of Engineers, 
or to anybody else, how a breakwater should be built, or where, or 
anything else. We do freely, when our interests are affected, use any 
influence we can to get such improvement where we think it will do the 
most good to us, or other people; but, further than that, we make no 
proposition of any description. 

Mr Shorb.—I don’t think there is any misunderstanding, as far as 
that is concerned. It wasn’t that you were presenting any breakwater, 
but you were presenting another one. Is that the proposition ? 

Mr Hood.—Yes. To get at the essence of your inquiry in general, 
we had thought that a breakwater along the line I have described, the 
western limit which is essentially opposite our wharf, which we are now 
building rapidly, and which we are going to build and handle commerce 
on whether there is a breakwater built in the United States or not—we 
had thought a good place for that breakwater would be, its western 
limit to be about opposite our wharf, and to extend eastwardly to oppo¬ 
site Santa Monica. 


36 


REPORT OF I/ARBOR MEETING. 


Mr. Stephens.—What would be the necessary length of the western¬ 
most line of it, projected out into the ocean? 

Mr. Hood.—It is all in the oct-an. There is no arm going to the 
shore. We had considered, with a limited knowledge of those matters, 
that an arm of the breakwater project from the shore, and then an 
outlet further out in a locality where it is weil known there are moder¬ 
ately strong shore currents one way and another, depending on the 
wind and tides, would be so sure to close it up, or so likely to do so, 
that no engineer would propose it for Santa Monica. And I am con¬ 
firmed in that by the former Board having proposed a breakwater as 
we have here. In fact, we have just copied it. 

Major Handbury.—What advantage in position do you find between 
the one established by the other Board and the position of this? 

Mr. Hood.—Our view of the subject is this — I use the term “our” 
and “ we ” as railroad men do about the mother corporation. 

Major Handbury.—We understand that. 

Mr. Hood.—Our views of the subject was this : The old Santa Mon¬ 
ica wharf, which was acquired by the Southern Pacific railroad company, 
and which used to extend out eighteen or nineteen hundred feet, and 
which was in a place where, as you have received testimony this morn¬ 
ing, captains could tie to in pretty bad weather and receive freight. But 
we found, and it was well known by navigators, that when the swell 
was exceedingly heavy with a westerly gale, so heavy as to make it prac¬ 
tically impossible to lie to the wharf, but necessary to go out to moorings 
indicated by buoys, or to run away, that up in here, two miles and more to 
the westward, the water was comparatively calm; not calm. There is no 
calm water there ; but comparatively so. We found the times would fre¬ 
quently occur that when we couldn t handle vessels lying along the wharf 
there, without danger to the wharf and the vessels both simply from the 
violence with which they would heave, that the water was much smoother 
there, and that we could much oftener keep a vessel there then here; 
all without any reference to breakwaters whatever. And, further than 
that, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, who would naturally give 
us a great deal of freight and discharge business, told us that they could 
under no circumstances guarantee to come to a wharf there, but they 
would do so if we would go in this older known, well known, locality. 

Major Handbury.—How do you explain that? 

Mr. Hood.—Of course this explanation is evidently for the audience. 
This Board must be well aware that Point Dumas is so situated with 
relerence to the westerly swell, which is pretty constant in direction, 
but not always so, that it comes practically unbroken here; and is more 
the result of what I might call a reflected swell there than it is ofi 
direct one. That is our observation. As the result of that, as the 
Pacific Coast Steamship Company, who would be our direct connecting 
company, practically refused to consider coming to the wharf there — 
we knew they were right — we went up there and commenced building 
our wharf, without any reference to breakwaters, whatever. 

Mr. Shorb.—That is the reason that wharf was abandoned, then ? 

Mr. Hood.—One of the reasons. And this design for the wharf— 
although the execution of it is recent, the design for the wharf was fixed 
somewhere between two and three years ago, so far as location is con¬ 
cerned, on those grounds only, before the breakwater question had 
come up, before we knew there was any show for a breakwater at all. 
And the obvious benefit of a breakwater up there to a wharf, even in a 
sheltered locality, would be that sometimes the swell is of sufficient 
violence so that we would much rather have one there than not, even 
if it is less than at Santa Monica. 

Mr. Shorb —How long after this wharf was abandoned right opposite 
Santa Monica, Mr. Hood, bc-lore you conceived the idea of building this 
breakwater up here, or here? 

Mr. Hood.—Well, I couldn’t put it in that way. But I don’t remem- 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


37 


ber having myself given that subject any study. I was directed to give 
it study more than three or four years ago; and I will only say that 
in a general manner, because I don’t pretend to remember accurately, 
but it was about that time. 

Mr Shorb.—The only reason I asked is this: Governor Stanford, 
long after that wharf was abandoned there, was intent upon securing all 
the appropriation he thought he could obtain from the United States 
Government to improve the breakwater at San Pedro. That is the 
reason I ask the questions. 

Mr. Hood.—\Vell, I can only say I know nothing of Governor Stan¬ 
ford’s motives, intentions, wishes or desires in that matter as a public 
officer. 

Mr. Shorb.—I merely asked that for information. 

Mr. Hood—I am densely ignorant on the subject. I simply know 
what I was ordered to investigate, and about when. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Mr. Hood, you indicate in a general way the contour 
of the coast line beyond here? 

Mr. Hood.—I can indicate it on any chart. 

Mr. Gibbon.—If you can give me a general indication of it it will 
serve my purpose. 

Major Handbury.—Mr. Hood, was that old wharf at Santa Monica, 
any part of it, washed away, or was it merely abandoned? 

Mr. Hood.—No, sir, it was taken down. It got badly toredo eaten, 
and unsafe for use. It was built of wood piles. 

Major Handbury.—How far out in the ocean was it? 

Mr. Hood.—My remembrance is it was about eighteen hundred odd 
feet. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Now, will you please indicate— 

Mr. Hood —Yes. sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Now, will you please indicate the position of your 
wharf there. Now, this, I understand, is the suggested breakwater. 

Mr. Hood.—That is it. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Now, you were just speaking a moment ago of what 
you thought a breakwater so located would secure. You were compar¬ 
ing it with San Francisco. 

Mr. Ho >d.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Can you say about how much of that breakwater 
frontage would be north of your— 

Mr. Hood.—West. 

Mr. Gibbon.—West of your proposed wharf. 

Mr. Hood.—There m'gnt possibly be 700 feet out of 8400. 

Mr. Gibbon.—And where would the remainder be? 

Mr. Hood.—In here. That is, anyone can build a wharf on the same 
principle we are doing, and cheaper, because we are building a wharf 
against the waves, prior to the construction of the breakwater. 

Mr. Gibbon.—As I understand you, this land here extending from 
the canon, is the private property of Mr. Huntington, the President of 
the Company now. 

Mr. Hood.—I say it is my opinion it is. I have no information what¬ 
ever, but I have reason to believe it. 

Mr. Gibbon —It is the land of Mr. Kinney, isn’t it? 

Mr. Hood.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—And taken in the name of Mr. Frank— 

Mr. Hood.—I don’t know the details, but I undeistand it to be so, 
and you might as well assume it. 

Mr. Gibbon.—That is a land with a very high bluff. 

Mr. Hood.—Yes, sir. „ . 

Mr. Gibbon.—And your Company owns or can control all this prop¬ 
erty here. That represents a frontage of how much ? 

Mr. Hood.—It is about 2000 feet, more or less. 


38 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


Mr. Gibbon.—And the 700 feet would be added to your frontage by 
the breakwater. It would make 2700 feet. 

Mr. Hood.—Exactly. At the same time, you notice the shape of the 
wharf. It is necessary to give it with a curve. They can go anywhere 
they are a mind to after they get outside. You are all aware that if a 
railroad company has more land than it has use for it can’t hold it. 

Mr. Gibbon.—To be sure not, but what we are getting at just now is 
the length of usable land for railroad purposes, the breadth, rather, 
between those aligning bluffs and tide water. 

Mr. Hood.—l think other railroads could go parallel with that, out¬ 
side the right of way, for about seventy-five or eighty feet, and hold it 
as we propose to hold it: with rock. 

Mr. Gibbon.— But you cut off all access here. It is necessary to 
cross your track to get across here. 

Mr. Hood.—It would, but there is room there. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Here your Company owns this strip of colored land. 

Mr. Hood.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon,—And that extends along the whole water front, doesn’t 
it? 

Mr. Hood.—With these slight modifications. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Down the whole front. 

Mr. Hood.—No; as far as the old wharf. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Along the whole protected water front of this break¬ 
water. 

Mr. Hood.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Before another company could get in here it would 
be necessary for them to cross your track, wouldn’t it? 

Mr. Hood.—No, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—How could they get in? 

Mr. Hood.—By a number of routes ; from down the coast; from the 
Arcadia Hotel; anywhere at all. 

Mr. Gibbon.—What is the amount of space they would have? 

Mr. Hood.—They would have enough for seven tracks, thirteen feet 
apart, witn perfect safety; and more, if they choose to do a little pro¬ 
tecting. 

Mr. Gibbon.—Land which you don’t own? 

Mr. Hood.— Yes, sir. 

Mr. Gibbon.—In point or fact, however, your Company at the pres¬ 
ent time occupies a strip of land the full width of the water front, leav¬ 
ing as a strip possibly for any other company a very narrow strip of, 
say, seventy-five feet in width. 

Mr. Hood.—No, averaging at least a hundred; about room for seven 
tracks, witnout doing any strengthening work to protect against the 
ocean. 

Mr. Gibbon.—And there is no possible approach from this side, 
because that is all bluff. 

Mr. Hood —That would be very difficult. 

Mr. Stephens.—Mr. Hood, may I ask whether these indicate any 
water m irk? 

Mr Hood.—It is very general. This map is not accurate in any 
respect. It is only a copy of the topography. The only thing accurate 
about it is the ownership. 

Mr. Stephens.—When you speak of the hundred feet which lies 
between your right of way and the water line, do you mean between 
high or low w iter? 

M '. Haod .—1 mean between extreme high water and our ownership. 
If you had been at S inta Manica you w m d remember the flat space 
at the foot of the bluff before it pitches down. 

Mr. Step tens .—1 am quite familiar with it, but I haven’t been there 
since your roid w is built. 

Mr. Hood.—We have held as close to the bluff as we dared, all the 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


39 


wa y* Now, the second part of that, which I suppose you gentlemen 
would like to see, is absolutely all the property that is owned or con¬ 
trolled— 

Mr. Carpenter.—Before you get on that subject—just on the one we 
are now will you state to the Board whether a railroad track couldn’t 
come down Santa Monica Canon, without coming up the bearh at all? 

Mr. Hood.—They could do so very readily, and cross our track at 
grade or below our track, but most properly a grade crossing. They 
could do it with great ease, and they would have no steeper grade than 
we have getting from the beach up to our upper yard, which everybody 
is acquainted with at Santa Monica. It is just a question of details 
where any other company would choose to try to come in. 

Mr. Shorb.—But they would be forced to go across your track, if 
thev came down the canon. 

Mr. Hood.—Unquestionably. But you are perfectly well aware that 
the only penalty for that wou'd be that they would pay for the iron cros¬ 
sings, and keep them up. Now, next, if I am not hindering your Board 
with too much detail, the property shaded in red, here at San Pedro 
and Wilmington, is the property owned and claimed by the Southern 
Pacific Railroad, and through them the Southern Pacific Company. 
The property shaded in yellow is property practically owned, a control¬ 
ling interest, by individual members of the S >uthern Pacific’s Board of 
Directors. It goes, you see, a mile and half above Point Fermin Light. 
And this map extends clear up to Wilmington, showing in that pink tint 
the Southern Pacific property, which they own and claim. If you will 
give attention to that form of language, you will see I don’t assert any¬ 
thing but that we own and claim. In other words, we have rights, more 
or less, to all the property shaded in pink. S >me of it we have a con¬ 
trolling interest in. Some of it we absolutely own. And the company 
practically owns that yellow strip going a mile up the coast from Point 
Fermin Light. In other words, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company 
owns and controls opposite the proposed breakwater, which is indicated 
by these dotted lines, this four and a half fathom line, every particle of 
property there is, with the exception of a small piece at Timm’s Point. 
Every particle of property, excepting, of course, the town lots at San 
Pedro. 

Someone.—Might I ask whether the Southern Pacific owns that land 
that is marked the “ Government Reservation ” here, sir ? 

Mr. HoocL—They have a title to it, which is what I state as owned 
and claimed. I will say, gentlemen, about this title, that I understand 
this is not a court of justice, in which we try land claims. I simply 
assert that this property is owned and claimed by the Southern Pacific 
Railway Company. 

Mr. Wells —I understand it is not the desire of the Board- 

Col. Ciaighill.—We don’t want to go into these details. 

Someone.—We only want them to represent what is so, gentlemen. 

Mr. Wells.—There wi 1 be an opportunity given to San Pedro, when 
the time comes, to controvert any statement which is now made; but 
now is not the proper t me. 

Col. Craighill.—I wish Mr. Hood would not be interrupted. 

Mr. Wells.—Proceed, Mr. Hood. 

Mr. Hood.—Well, gentlemen, I think it is quite certain that whatever 
attacks may be made on the Southern Pacific Railroad Company’s title, 
it will be the province of our law department to delend it, and not us. 

Mr. Wells —Have you other points you wish to take up? 

Mr. Hood —Those points I will leave to you, gentlemen. 

Mr. Shorb.—I would like simply to say one word, it will not take 
more than five minutes. 

Colonel Craighill.—In connection with that? 

Mr. Shorb.— Yes, sir. The reason we gentlemen claim is the fact it 
has been asserted through all the newspapers- 


40 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


Col. Craighill.—We don’t care a copper for what the newspapers 

say. 

Mr. Shorb.—That they own this whole thing here and that, therefore, 
the only chance the public would have would be to use this out here, 
rather than here. And that is the only reason we bring it up here. 

Mr. Hood.—I have only to say, Mr. Chairman, in further answer to 
the question which was asked, as to why the Railroad Company, the 
Southern Pacific Railroad Company, preferred the site that we have 
just been discussing, westward of Santa Monica Canon, that, as I said, 
the Pacific Coast Steamship Company urged it; and I will file with you 
copies of letters which we have received from them. 

I need hardly mention that the place where a vessel is most likely to 
lay out a heavy blow is the place where breakwaters can be most 
cheaply built and maintained. And in reference to other reasons why 
this company proposes to go to Santa Monica, I will say, in brief, that 
the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, as you all know, is a corpora¬ 
tion. It has many million dollars at stake ; more millions than we care 
to go into at present. That it is not accustomed to build a wharf 4500 
feet long, the length of which is chiefly for ample facilities, without a 
good reason, when they have ample facilities at San Pedro. But it has 
been borne in on this company so positively and so peremptorily by 
what you might call nature, in one sense, and that is the amount of 
freight and passenger business, which comes very near following the 
the laws of nature—that any company who relied wholly for their con¬ 
nection of rail with ships on San Pedro, would go to the wall. Now, 
the Southern Pacific Company does not care to go to the wall. And we 
are building without any reference to any breakwater proposition or 
deep-sea harbor proposition whatever, a wharf at Santa Monica on the 
site that has been discussed, which will ten months of the year take 
safely, we think, any sea going vessels, any coasting vessels or any other 
vessels, that choose to come there. We are going to carry that to com¬ 
pletion, and the expenses will be very great; and that is where we are 
going to do a great deal of business. And it is so obvious to any busi¬ 
ness man that a company like the Southern Pacific Company is not going 
to make that expenditure for any other reason than the actual necessi¬ 
ties of the case, the calls of the country. That, I think, needs no fur¬ 
ther demonstration. Gentlemen, I have nothing further to say, unless 
you have some questions. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Hood, one gentleman who spoke with reference 
to San Pedro harbor said you had a deep-sea harbor at Santa Monica 
and then you would have to have another at San Pedro for smaller ves¬ 
sels. What have you to say about that? 

Mr. Hood.—I did not understand fully why a small vessel can’t go 
where a large one can. It is a novel proposition to me, and it is one 
that obviously requires thought, and I haven’t given it any. 

Mr. Widney.—I think you misapprehend the s atement. 

Mr. Carpenter.—The stenographer has it, and can read it after while. 

Mr. Hood —I certainly do. 

Mr. Widney.—If I have the floor I can state what I said. 

Colonel Craighill.—I think that is a question we can decide for our¬ 
selves. 

Mr. Carpenter.—That is all, sir. That is all we have for the present, 
Mr. President. 

Mr. Wells.—The Board desires next to call upon Redondo for the 
presentation of their facts and figures. 

Mr. Stephens,—We will ask the privilege of having a statement from 
Mr. Walton, who is the agent, I believe, of the Atlantic and Pacific 
Steamship Company. 

Mr C. S. Walton.—Colonel Craighill, and gentlemen of the Board. 
It was my puipose, which I still adhere to, to address this Board on a 
broader idea of the commercial aspect of a detp-sea harbor 011 the 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


41 


southern coast than can be included in the claims of any one particular 
point; particularly the contesting locations for harbors that are disput¬ 
ing for supremacy here. I will say, however, that the steamship line 
which I have the honor to represent, has had some experience at Re¬ 
dondo which has been entirely satisfactory to them The port has 
presented certain advantages to the captain of the steamer recently 
arrived at that port, which I can simply repeat from hearsay, from the 
statements he made to me, and that was: that during the ten months 
of so-called smooth weather that we have here, even the open road¬ 
stead at Redondo was entirely adequate for the ordinary demands of 
deep-sea vessels ; but that, during the time when southeasters or south- 
westers were liable to come on, it was the impression of that particular 
gentleman that the protection offered by Point Vincent, I think it is— 
the point that appears off to the right as you look to the sea from 
Redondo—off to the left—and the extreme northern end of Catalina 
Island, would form a certain natural breakwater which would be valua¬ 
ble in protecting that port from storms which arise in the south, and, 
as several gentlemen here—principally my friend, Captain Polhemus— 
stated, those storms do start in the southeast and southwest, and veer 
around westerly, and expend their force off in the northwest. And it 
was for that reason that this Captain, who is an old sea-going man, 
deep-sea sailor, thought that Redondo possessed peculiar advantages 
in being protected from the south and southwest anyhow, and requiring 
only that protection which comes from the storms appearing off west 
and northwesterly. I hope, before the meeting is over, to have the 
opportunity of speaking to you gentlemen on the commercial aspect of 
this whole enterprise. I have nothing further to say in regard to Re¬ 
dondo in particular. 

Mr. Stephens.—Well, Mr. Walton, let me ask you what your future 
plans are with respect to your vessels coming to this coast. Where will 
they land ? 

Mr. Walton.—I will say, sir, at present we have a vessel on the way, 
shortly to arrive here—a large steamer, the Connomore. 

Mr. Stephens.—Where is that from ? 

Mr. Walton.—From New York, carrying between 4000 and 4500 tons. 
We also have a clipper loading in Antwerp, providing the cholera 
doesn’t make any trouble with it. We also expect a clipper from New 
York. We have another steamer in New York now about to go on 
berth to load. I cannot outline the future of the Company any further 
than that. 

Mr. Stephens.—Is it the design of the owners that those vessels shall 
land and discharge at Redondo? 

Mr. Walton.—Those vessels are practically engaged to land and 
discharge at Redondo. 

Mr. Stephens.—Were those arrangements made after your experi¬ 
ence with your ship which has landed there, and after the report of the 

Captain ? ’ , . , 

Mr. Walton.—A portion of them. Some were made —in fact the 
owners considered it very desirable to have the report of the Captain 
of the Progreso, which was the first ship appearing at Redondo of our 
line, before going into the thing more than as an experiment. But they 
were very well pleased, and the arrangement continues in force to land 
vessels at Redondo, for the fact largely that there is a great saving in 
time by landing at what at that time seemed to be the nearest harbor 
for Los Angeles that offered the greatest amount of business. Is there 
anything further, Colonel? 

Col. Craighill.—Not that I know of. r , „ , T . „ 

Mr Stephens.—Mr. President, and gentlemen of the Board. 1 shall 
say a few words in behalf of Redondo. It seems to me there are two 
questions as to the location of a deep-sea harbor; two questions as to 


6 


42 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


the approaches. First, we want to know when the harbor is created 
whether it is available upon the land side, because a harbor which is 
not available to the shore and to which all the people have not access, 
is not a very good harbor. It also ought to be accessible from the ocean 
side. Both these considerations are important. I have this to say in 
behalf of the gentlemen who control the land about Redondo Beach, 
that, so far as their action is concerned, they will act in the future as 
they have in the past. They will invite everybody to come to Redondo 
Beach; every corporation which carries a car; every individual who 
can drive a wagon and bring freight to deliver at that point, or to carry 
it away. Their policy has been a policy of public spirit, and I believe 
that every member of the Chamber of Commerce would corroborate 
what I say in regard to that. 

There is already in existence at that port a railroad, I think the 
greatest on the continent, the most liberal on the continent, and a rail¬ 
road to which this community owes more than to any other organiza¬ 
tion that exists in this country. I would state to you, gentlemen, and I 
state it as a citizen and not as an advocate of the Redondo Beach 
Company, that the prosperity of this community dates from the day we 
first heard the whistle of the Santa F6 railroad in this country. 
That is a fact which can be testified to by everybody in this county. 
Our prosperity dates from that moment. That great railroad enterprise 
is there. It does not have to get there. It does not have to condemn 
rights of way across other railroads. It does not have to build break¬ 
waters of stone and iron out in the ocean, but is there to day, with one 
end of its road in the waters of the Pacific and other branches at Boston 
and at Chicago. And I state again, for the gentlemen who back this enter¬ 
prise, that their principal interest is not in building up a wharf or a 
harbor or a pier, but in building up the town in which they have cast 
their fortunes. And we will give bond, if the Chamber of Commerce 
wants it, that everybody shall have access, so far as they are concerned, 
to that harbor. Now, so much for the land side of this question. 

We will turn our attention to the sea. As a matter of fact, as I have 
learned from the testimony of witnesses here, and from statements of 
reliable gentlemen who are perfectly familiar with this fact, it is only 
about three miles further from San Francisco to Redondo than it is from 
the proposed site of the Santa Monica wharf. That is, for vessels pass¬ 
ing through the Santa Barbara Channel. And I understand from the 
statement of one witness here, I think the first Captain of a vessel who 
testified in regard to the Santa Monica wharf, that for vessels which 
pass around the islands and do not pass through that channel, that we 
are practically as near to San Francisco as this Santa Monica wharf is. 
Then, so far as the distance is concerned between San Francisco and 
Los Angeles, between these two great commercial points, there is no 
practical difference between Redondo and Santa Monica. 

Now, with respect to the location and ihe availability of this harbor. 
I have gathered from the testimony of all the witnesses who have made 
statements here today, that the danger on this coast is the south wind. 
I gather that the storms come from the southeast; that their duration 
is from one to three days; that they wear off with the wind from the 
west and from the northwest. Now then, as a matter of fact, at 
Redondo it is utterly impossible, nature has made it impossible—and 
nature has done much, very much, for this location—nature has made it 
impossible that we should ever suffer there from southeast winds. 
There are the Palos Verdes Hills, which rise so high. Nature has 
almost made a perfect harbor there. And when I come down to the 
statistics I am going to be a little easier upon them, because I fear if the 
Government knows how safe a thing it is to ship and receive freight at 
Redondo they may say that we don’t need any Government money out 
here at all. That is the danger I am in. I will have to curb myself a 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 43 

little, in order that we don’t knock out this whole plan of appropriation 
for this coast. 

And I will give a few statistics about the shipping there. I am not 
going to read any long documents to you gentlemen : I believe it is only 
about one page; very briefly and concisely stated in the document, 
which will be handed to you gentlemen. And I don’t know that we ask 
that this be forwarded to the Government at all. 

The following shows the amounts of freight landed at Redondo by 
the various steamers during the past three years: 

In 1889, from the opening of the wharf in June until December the 
1st of that year, eighty-five steamers, 8261 tons, or 1180 tons per month. 

In 1890, 182 steamers, 26,835 tons, or 2236 tons per month. 

In 1891, 194 steamers. 29,187 tons, or 2432 tons per month. 

And to August 31:, this year, only eight months, 192 steamers, 20,098 
tons, 2512 tons per month. 

Aggregating 651 steamers, 84,389 tons, or 120 tons per steamer. 

And I interject here the statement that there has never been a 
steamer lost at this port, and never any serious injury to any steamer in 
that port. I will state also, which I believe can be backed up by the 
statistics, without going into them, that the holding-ground of this port 
is excellent; that it is as good as any in this quarter of the country, if 
we need it. It is not very often that we need it there ; because as a dis¬ 
tinguished military officer stated in my hearing the other day, who has 
been in this country some time and most of the time at that place, that 
there were 360 days in the year when a steamer could lay in perfect 
safety alongside the pier at Redondo; 360 out of the 365 days. And let 
me state to your Honorable Board that the history of our storms here 
is such that if a storm is brewing and gathering and blowing from the 
southeast that vessels laying there can haul off to sea, and be out of 
any danger, if it could possibly reach that point. 

These are the merchant vessels : Lumber vessels, from June to 
December 31st, 1889, eighteen vessels, with, in round figures, 6,000,000 
feet. In 1890, twenty-nine vessels ; 10,000,000 feet. In 1891, sixty-one 
vessels, with 2r,000,000 feet. And to August 31st of this year, thirty- 
nine vessels, with 14,000,000 feet. Aggregating over 50,000,000 feet of 
lumber, or 350,000 feet of lumber per vessel, in addition to the 
steamers and sailing craft mentioned. 

A few months ago the British Ship' Kirkwood, Britisher, one of the 
largest sailing vessels, of deep draft, arrived direct from Antwerp and 
discharged her cargo of 1700 tons alongside of the wharf and into the 
cars, with ease and safety, in the remarkably short working time of 
seventy-three hours. 

There has also arrived from New York, within the past month, at 
Redondo, the Progreso. This is the vessel mentioned by Mr. Walton, 
and he has detailed the safety with which she landed, and it was satis¬ 
factory to his employers. And I would like to state here that at this 
time, omitting of course, lumber and coal, I am informed and have no 
doubt that it is true, that Redondo Beach has received sixty per cent of 
the merchandise which comes seaward to Los Angeles ; sixty per cent 
today. 

Now, in regard to the feasibility of a wharf at that point. I am sure 
that I know nothing about it, but I am informed that a breakwater can 
be constructed there; either a floating or a submerged breakwater. 
About these things I know.absolutely nothing; and, of course, you gen¬ 
tlemen do not want to hear from anybody on that subject, anyway. 

We think that, so far as improvements are concerned here, that the 
Government can by a comparatively small expenditure in a floating 
breakwater, protect us in the five days out of the 365 when we need any 
protection ’ I am told that this can be constructed at a cost of one-tenth 
of what a breakwater will cost. I d >n’t know anything about that. 
I am told that. You gentlemen must find that out yourselves. If it be 


44 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


true, it is much wiser for us people of Los Angeles to ask for something 
that we can get rather than have a four million breakwater, which will 
almost break the Government. As a matter of fact, it took a great 
number of years, 5,000,000 of people, a strong combination of States 
having Senators and Representatives all in their interests, to accomplish 
an appropriation of five or six million, I forget which, for Galveston. 
It was a great difficulty. We talk about building harbors, or of five 
millions or four millions and extending them indefinitely, any number of 
miles through the ocean, for the accommodation of everybody, as if we 
had this whole matter in our hands. It does seem to me that we ought 
to moderate our views a little and ask an appropriation and improve¬ 
ment which will be acceptable to the Government. We already have at 
San Pedro a very good harbor for light draught vessels. Of that there 
is no doubt. The great bulk of our lumber comes in light draught 
vessels from the upper coast and is landed at that place. And all we 
need to provide for is the seagoing vessels. We have almost done it at 
Redondo, and a little aid from the Government we think will accomplish 
the whole matter. And we respectfully submit that Redondo offers 
more natural advantages than any other place, and we respectfully sub¬ 
mit that the necessary protection can be afforded by the Government 
there at very much less expense than elsewhere. 

There are statistics contained in the report of Colonel Mendell which 
will be read before your Honorable Board. Of course I will not con¬ 
sume the time in undertaking to read it, except that I will say this : that 
when he examined this port at the instance of the gentlemen who 
founded it, he prophesied the very results which have been accomplished 
by these gentlemen. And I want to say, further, in regard to that, that 
this enterprise has been launched and has been sustained and backed 
up by gentlemen of very large experience, by the Messrs. Thompson 
and Ainsworth, men of age and capital and great experience in naviga¬ 
tion. They saw this harbor; they took possession of it; bought it. 
They have spent a million and a half of money in and about that harbor ; 
upon the pier ; upon the hotels ; upon railroads ; and we think that the 
people of this community would rather that they and the Santa Fd 
should have Government support and appropriations than any other 
enterprise in this country. 

And let me say something I ought to have said a little further back; 
that the Southern Pacific, by running a spur from its San Pedro line, can 
reach this port in ten miles. That the Terminal Road, which we all 
hope is the western congeries, because they have a number of roads 
centering here, that they are a part of a grand trans-continental system 
which would reach here from Salt Lake City—they can reach this port 
within ten miles, and they will be welcomed when they come, and no 
man will stand in their way. 

Mr. Wells.—Are there any questions the Board has to ask the gentle¬ 
men? Are there other gentlemen you wish to have heard? 

Mr. Stephens.—There are gentlemen here who are perfectly familiar 
with the mooring, with the holding qualities of the sea there. Captain 
Ainsworth and Captain Thompson. 

Mr. Wells.—Would the Board like to hear on that point? The Board 
would like to hear on the holding capacity of Redondo. 

Mr. Stephens.—Captain George J. Ainsworth. Captain, will you 
please state, in your own fashion, the manner of landing the vessels 
there, and the moorage ? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—The vessels formerly used their own anchors in 
landing, in coming to a stop before they approached the pier. But after¬ 
wards we supplied the harbor with very heavy mooring, so as to insure 
any vessel against going ashore in any storm that might occur. Those 
moorings were placed in under the supervision of Captain Bruce, the 
Marine Surveyor of the Fireman’s Insurance Fund of San Francisco; 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


45 


and when a vessel is attached to those moorings their insurance is just 
as light as when lying in the harbor. 

Major Handbury.—Can you tell us, Captain, about the weight of 
those anchors? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—The heavy mooring placed down by Captain Bruce, 
they have two anchors fixed in a bridle arrangement, in a fork. 

Major Handbury.—Are they anchors, or, are they— 

Mr. Ainsworth.—They are anchors. One weighs 8000 pounds, and 
the other weighs 6000 pounds. The chain is two-inch chain. Links 
are two inches in diameter; and 190 fathoms of that chain attached to a 
boiler-iron buoy. 

Mr. Stephens.—What is the holding ground there, Captain ? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—It is a very good holding ground. I have never 
known the anchor of any vessel to drag. It is a sand and clay. 

Mr. Stephens.—What vessels stop at your port now, at your wharf? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—All steamers coming south of Goodall, Perkins & 
Co., and Willamette supply, the Willamette’s Lumber Yard, and Clark 
& Humphreys, in the interior. 

Mr. Stephens.—That is the Pacific Coast Steamship Company? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—Yes, sir. 

Mr. Stephens.—Navigating the southern coast? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—Yes, sir. . 

Mr. Wells.—Are there any questions which the Board desires to ask ? 

Major Raymond.—Is there any rock in the vicinity of the anchorage 
of Redondo? 

Mr. Ainsworth.—No, sir; it is all open and clear. There are no 
hidden obstructions of any nature. 

Mr. Stephens.—Tthink that is all, gentlemen. We desire to be brief. 

Mr. Wells.—The Board desires to know whether there are other 
localities which would like to be heard, embraced within the limits of 
the investigation which they are making. If so, an opportunity will be 
given for them to be heard. There does not seem to be any 

Col. Craighill.—Now, gentlemen, we have heard from the advocates 
of each of these three places, San Pedro, Santa Monica and Redondo, 
the details of the claims of each for the location of the breakwater; 
that is to say, the merits of each have been discussed. We will begin 
now with San Pedro, and if those who represent San Pedro have any¬ 
thing further to say in that direction, we are ready to hear it, and we 
should be very glad to hear them. And if they have anything to say 
with reference to the demerits of Santa Monica or Redondo, we want 
them to say it now. 

Mr. Wells.—Will some person representing San Pedro call out and 
introduce the speakers ? 

Mr. Shorb.—I prefer having Captain Johnson called for the present. 

Mr. Wells.—Captain Johnson, you have the floor to proceed as you 
wish. 

Mr. H. C. Johnson.—Well, I will say the little facts I know about the 
harbor. I came here in ’52, in December, forty years ago, in the bark 
America. I went to anchor in the Bay of San Pedro; rode out two 
heavy southeasters with safety; two anchors, one with forty-five and 
the other with fifty fathoms of chain. Then from that time until ’54 I 
lived at San Pedro on the point which they call now Timms’ Point—in 
that neighborhood. Saw vessels coming there, few, as a matter of 
course, and two little steamers that were running there then, the only 
steamers on the coast—the Seabright and the Ohio. And they got 
there in all kind of waters ; and, with the exception of one losing her 
anchor once without having their chain shackled, there was never any 
trouble about riding out the gale, so far as the holding ground was con¬ 
cerned, within a couple of miles of the bluff. Southeast, from there to 
here, there is more or less loose sand. Of course in the southeast wind, 
the only wind that is liable to do any damage, the vessels would natur- 


46 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


ally drift in shore toward the water where the anchorage will hold 
better. In ’54 I was engaged by John Ord, the United States Surveyor 
at the time, to run him about the coast, surveying—him and his party. 
I was engaged—the vessel and myself. And I got in the Bay of San 
Pedro there in all kinds of weather during the winter months, in ’53, 
’4, ’5 and part of ’56; got to anchor there in the night and day, and all 
kinds of waters, and I never had any trouble of laying there safe, as 
far as the anchorage is concerned, to hold, as long as the moorage and 
tackles are good. Since that time, fourteen years, I was running in and 
out the bay, night and day, any kind of weather, summer and winter; 
anchored in every place and any place within the anchorage as laid 
down in our official chart; and never had any trouble. And from that 
time I stopped following the sea and having anything to do with the 
vessels. But I resided in the neighborhood and saw every vessel there. 
And no vessels ever dragged their anchorage who had their anchors 
clear. Those who dragged their anchorage either parted their chain or 
they had a fouled anchor which they neglected to clear before the storm 
come up. 

Now, with regard to the inner harbor, we all know there is about 
eighteen feet of water there to go over at high tide. Vessels go in there 
and they are well secured. They are like in a pond when they are in 
there. And the outer harbor is protected from all winds, with the 
exception of the east and southeast. The southwest wind that is pre¬ 
vailing here during the months of February and March, and sometimes 
a part of April, they are the strongest gales we have on this coast, which 
every seafaring man knows, because they blow more towards shore 
than any other wind ; raise a heavier sea. San Pedro there is protected 
by Point Fermin. It is only the wind from the east and southeast. Cat¬ 
alina Island protects part of the harbor, but not sufficient for vessels to 
lie perfectly smooth in smooth water. 

Now, with the money that has been expended in that harbor there, 
with very little breakwater in sufficient water there to build it on a solid 
foundation, which is not to be found in every other place, a small break¬ 
water would inclose there a couple of thousand acres for their deep-sea 
harbor. The inside harbor is nearly as good as finished. And we 
would have plenty of facilities for all the railroad companies, for all the 
community that would ever live in that neighborhood, for warehouses 
and everything else; lots of fine level soil, and the facilities would be 
great. I heard a gentleman this morning speaking about ships going 
up to the Columbia river to get to Santa Monica. I have followed the 
sea since 1841, and I couldn’t think even Columbus himself would have 
traveled so far to find the port of San Pedro or Santa Monica, as to go 
to the Columbia river. Any vessel, or in fact, to make it short, allow 
me to state that we must in the future look to our trade by water. We 
expect to have communication from South America, West Indies—or at 
least Central America and Mexico. To have that trade, we are nearest 
to Los Angeles of any of the towns. 

In regard to making harbors, what does a seaman want? A good 
lighthouse ? We have got it in San Pedro. We have got Catalina lay¬ 
ing out there for a point of land to navigate by. We have a Government 
Reservation at San Pedro, if the government wants to build any fortifi¬ 
cation or anything. They have five hundred square varas of land 
there, and, in fact, any facility anybody wants to have for the sake of a 
harbor. 

Now, in regard to the time between San Francisco and here, the 
freight and the passenger traffic that has been carried in former years is 
nearly done away with. Everything goes by railroad that comes from 
there. We must not look to San Francisco for our trade. We must 
look to the East by water to have cheap transportation. Consequently, 
if we get it by water we are nearest to Los Angeles of any port. Any 
little freight or passengers that come from San Francisco to Santa Mon- 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


47 


ica, they gain a little time, that is true. But, outside of that, what is 
there in Santa Monica to protect shipping? It is open to the south, and 
we know we have heavy gales from the south and southwest. They 
speak about water being smooth there. I have been there hundreds of 
times, and always found plenty of surf for the bathers to bathe in, and 
heavy swells. I have known vessels to drag there; and they had to 
send steamers there in the month of May, 1878, to pull them out, keep 
them from going ashore ; heavy swell, undertow and one thing and 
another. Anchors didn’t hold up laying alongside of the wharf. They 
were destroyed there. 

In regard to the anchorage outside in Santa Monica, I can’t tell, for 
the reason I never sounded much, other than the point Dumas. I was 
up there with John Ord, and he sounded there and put some signals 
ashore. 

In regard to Redondo, my friend here has said all that could be said 
in regard to it. There is deep water, plenty of it; protected from the 
southeast, it is true, but it is open to the westward. If the gentlemen 
wish to inquire in regard to anything else I would like to state. I don’t 
like to take up all your time. 

Lieut.-Col. Robert.—Captain, which do you consider as more pro¬ 
tected from the worst storms, Santa Monica or San Pedro? 

Mr. Johnson.—Well, San Pedro is more protected, because from the 
heavy norihwesters, and particularly the heavy southwesters, San Pedro 
is protected. You can simply lay safe there. 

Lieut.-Col. Robert.—Now, take the southeasters. Are they not the 
worst storms when they do come ? 

Mr. Johnson. —No, sir. They always come with rainy weather, and 
when it rains the sea is patted down by the rain. The harder it blows 
the harder it rains, and the smoother the water is. But a southwester 
often blows without any rain, and there is a heavy sea. The whole 
ocean is open from the southwest to come in, while from the southeast 
winds, the wind generally starts from the north-northeast, or east, and 
goes around to the southeast or southward. As soon as the wind hauls 
to the south, San Pedro is protected more or less by Catalina Island. 
That is only twenty miles off. And, consequently, the next day, inside 
of thirty-six hours, the wind hauls to the southwest and westward, and 
goes to the northwest somewhere. But as soon as it hauls beyond 
south, we are protected in San Pedro by the island; and then southwest, 
Point Fermin cuts off the sea. The southwest winds don’t affect the 
bay of San Pedro at all. 

Mr. Wells.—The Board desires to give an opportunity to Santa 
Monica or Redondo, Santa Monica first, to ask any questions of the 
gentleman who is now making statements; and, in order that there 
may be no confusion, I will ask that anyone who wishes to ask a ques¬ 
tion first obtains the floor for that purpose, and then we will have no 
confusion whatever. Santa Monica will have the right to ask any ques¬ 
tions first through any representative they may select. 

Mr. Carpenter.—With regard to the gentleman on the stand, we have 
no questions. 

Mr. Wells.—Then Redondo will have an opportunity. 

Mr. Stephens.—Redondo has none. 

Mr. Wells.—Then that is all, Captain. 

Mr. Reynolds.—I have a report from the San Pedro people, which 
can be handed in, or— 

Col. Craighill.—I will say, generally, that anything that can be given 
to us in writing we would prefer to have it. 

Mr. Reynolds.—Shall I read it, or not? 

Col. Craighill.—Just as you prefer. . _ , .. , , . . 

Mr. Reynolds.—The only question is there might be tacts here which 
the other side might desire to dispute. It will take about ten minutes. 

Col. Craighill.—I think you had better read it, then. 


48 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


Mr. Reynolds.—“To the Board of Government Engineers in the 
matter of the location of a deep-water harbor for Southern California. 
Gentlemen: In considering the question of the location of a deep¬ 
water harbor in the vicinity of Los Angeles, would beg leave to respect¬ 
fully ask your consideration of the following points in favor of the port 
of San Pedro: 

“ ist. It is centrally located for the territory to be accommodated, 
and for the various railroad lines of the country. 

“ 2nd. It is of all available points within the limits indicated for 
survey, the one with the best natural shelter, having Catalina island 
directly south, the jutting point of San Pedro mountain upon the west 
and curving coast line eastward. 

“3rd. It is the nearest point to the quarries upon Catalina island 
from which the stone to build the sea-walls probably will be obtained. 

“ 4th. The roadstead at this point has a firm bottom upon which to 
rest the weight of the rock in the walls, as shown by the fact that kelp, 
which is a sure indication of a rocky bottom, exists in a line parallel 
with the proposed breakwaters. 

“15th. A submerged reef, extending from point Fermin in a south¬ 
erly direction three-quarters of a mile, affords considerable shelter for 
vessels anchored in the harbor now, by breaking the force of the heavy 
southwest swells before they reach present anchorage, and would be a 
natural foundation for a sea-wall protecting the entire harbor from the 
southwest swell. 

“ 6th. It is, by reason of its bold headland and the proximity of 
Catalina island, well situated for harbor defense, which fact has been 
recognized by military engineers in the location of the Government 
Reserve on the bluff. 

“7th. Lying, as it does, at the extremity of a prominent headland, 
with its shore line dropping away upon either side, it affords ample sea 
room for sailing vessels approaching and leaving with the wind from 
any quarter : an advantage possessed by no other point within the limits 
set for the location of the proposed harbor. This feature in a commer¬ 
cial point of view is of exceeding importance. 

“8th. It would not be necessary to await the completion of the 
whole work before reaping the benefits, as the building of the first 
thousand feet of the west wall would afford shelter for the basin to be 
inclosed, except during southeast storms, which are of rare occurrence. 

“9th. Situated, as it is, to the eastward of a high promontory, it is 
protected from the prevailing northwest winds, and in part from the 
southwest swells. 

“ 10th. At San Pedro the strong set of the return current from the 
southeast against the headland and the deep water immediately beyond, 
keep the bottom scoured, so the filling up, which is the greatest danger 
to all artificial harbors, is rendered impossible. This is proved by all 
government charts issued between 1859 and 1890. The lines of the 
sea-wall planned in the recent Government survey were designed 
expressly to take advantage of this feature. 

“nth. The submerged plain, while deepening within a short 
distance from the shore line to twenty-five or thirty feet at low tide, 
then becomes so nearly horizontal that, at a distance of a mile further 
out, the sea is only from fifty to sixty feet in depth. This feature ren¬ 
ders possible the enclosure of a large area of deep water, without hav¬ 
ing to build the walls in such a depth as to make the cost excessive. 

“12th. A deep-water harbor constructed at this point has the 
advantage of utilizing, for all vessels not drawing over twenty feet, the 
ample water frontage of the inner harbor of San Pedro, now nearly 
completed, thus leaving the deeper water without clear for the deeper 
draught vessels. When it is remembered that the greater proportion of 
vessels seeking a seaport are of this lighter draught, the economic 
advantage of thus being able to save the deeper wharfage for the larger 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


49 


vessels and avoiding overcrowding becomes apparent, as it renders 
possible the accommodation of a much more extensive commerce with¬ 
out adding to the cost. 

u 13th. Respecting the holding ground at the present anchorage at 
San Pedro (said anchorage will be enclosed by the already proposed 
breakwaters), we assert that it is the best, and has been so conceded by 
all vessels which have anchored there for the past thirty years; the 
formation being clay and sand, with no great depth of sand. We refer 
you to -the past record of the proposed inclosure as being the safest 
anchorage ground on the coast. 

“ 14th. The construction of a deep-water harbor at this point thus 
economizes and utilizes the heavy expenditure which the government 
has already made upon the present harbor of San Pedro, which then 
becomes, as just shown, the inner harbor of the new work. 

“ 15th. The already large water frontage and the branching channels 
of the inner harbor admit of much greater development than is yet 
found necessary. These sheltered waters, besides the facilities for 
handling freight, affords ample space for the building and repairing of 
ships, which must be carried on at every important seaport. 

“ 16th. Before the work of improving San Pedro harbor was inaug¬ 
urated by the Government, three separate surveys by different Govern¬ 
ment engineers were made at intervals of several years. These surveys 
included the coast line both north and south of San Pedro. 

“All three reports concurred in designating San Pedro as the most 
suitable point for such work. These three separate and distinct reports 
have been further confirmed by a re-survey, made by a full board of 
Government engineers, less than two years ago, who again decided that 
the port of San Pedro was the proper point for the construction of a 
deep-water harbor, possessing advantages not found at any other place. 

‘ ‘ Respectfully submitted, 

“Merick Reynolds, Chairman Citizens’ Committee.” 

Mr. Carpenter.—If the Board please, we will ask leave to reply to 
that document, in writing. We will look over it, and such parts as we 
think have not already been met by our evidence, we will ask leave to 
reply to specifically in writing, and file it with the Board. 

Col. Craighill.—There is no objection to that. 

Mr. Wells.—Now, has Redondo any question that they wish to ask 
the gentlemen ? 

Mr. Stephens. —I suppose not, sir. 

Mr. Wells.—Has San Pedro any other gentleman who wishes to be 
heard ? 

Mr. Shorb.—I would like to put Captain Polhemus on the stand 
again. The Captain has already given his evidence to you gentlemen 
as to his knowledge of San Pedro. I believe now it is in order, Mr. 
Chairman, to give you his ideas of Santa Monica bay. It is in order, is 
it not, sir? 

Col. Craighill.—I suppose there is no objection to it. Go on. 

Mr. Polhemus—The General-in-chief of the Santa Monica forces 
remarked there had been no marine disaster at Santa Monica. I would 
like to state what befell the bark Frank Austin, the only deep-water 
ship that ever attempted to land at the Santa Monica wharf. She went 
in there full laden, under the assurance of the watermen; struck bot¬ 
tom. And the steamer Santa Cruz happened to be there, and he paid 
the steamer Santa Cruz $2000 to tow her to San Pedro. There was a 
gang of men put aboard of her and she was discharged ; and men 
working on there night and day until the coal was discharged. And 
hadn’t there been a steamer there I think there would have been a 
marine disaster there, and also a small-sized coal mine. 

He also speaks of vessels sailing out there. The wind, he says, 
prevails there during the summer from the west, which is true. He 


7 


50 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING . 


then says that vessels can stand either north or south. This chart 
doesn’t show it as well as the large one. 

Major Handbury.—Here is one over here. 

Mr. Polhemus.—This is from the west. Now, I have been on salt 
water a little, and I would like to know how a vessel laying in here can 
sail either north or south and get out of there, with a westerly wind. I 
believe that was the statement this morning. 

Captain Stoddard, an old acquaintance of a good many years, said 
this morning that he could discharge a cargo there in a southeast gale ; 
and, a few moments after, remarked that in calm weather he dropped 
his anchor there to hold on on account of the great undertow. 

Captain Ingalls, who was afterward captain of the same steamer 
Captain Stoddard was in, one time, in coming in to the end of that 
wharf, a breaker boarded him ouside of the end of that wharf, and he 
told me very nearly wrecked his vessel. He didn’t get near the end of 
the wharf. A sea got in and broke his stern, and he got away from 
there. I ask Captain Stoddard if he remembers that. 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, sir; I never had such an experience. 

Mr. Polhemus.—I say do you remember that? 

Mr. Stoddard.—No, I don’t remember that. 

Mr. Polhemus.—When the Santa Monica first started, a ship was 
laying at San Pedro, an English iron ship, loading with wheat, and one 
of the first wheat cargoes that left San Pedro. As is the case always 
when an English ship is laying near a new place, the English insurance 
companies always sends out orders to their masters to go to that place 
and investigate the port and report to them. Captain Evans told me, 
after he came back, that his report was that Santa Monica, that bight, 
laid in a bight of ninety degrees ; so a deep-water ship—while a fore 
and aft vessel might work out, a square-rigged vessel couldn’t get out; 
a deep-water ship only had eight points to work, and with a ground 
swell on it was utterly impossible to do it in a head wind. 

Before she left a French bark came in there, and the captain of the 
vessel got a letter to go there and look. And I always remember what 
the French Captain said. 1 said: “Captain, how do you like Santa 
Monica”? He shrugged his shoulders, and said: “Well, if you please, 
it is a very nice piece of water; very nice for the bath ; very good for 
the ladies ; very pretty ladies ; but no place for a sea-going ship.” I 
have nothing more to say, gentlemen. 

Mr. Cornelius Cole.—Has there been any wrecks of vessels in the 
Santa Monica bay ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—None to my knowledge. The only vessel that ever 
went in there was the Frank Austin—deep-sea ship, and she was 
towed out. 

Mr. Cole.—How many vessels have been wrecked in San Pedro bay? 

Mr. Polhemus.—In my memory, since I have been there, there has 
been several. There has been the bark Annie, the Adelaide Cooper, 
the brig Calor—well there has been several there lost. 

Mr. Cole.—The America? 

Mr. Polhemus.—The America was not lost, but she dragged over the 
bar and went to sea. And the ship Kennedy. 

Mr. Widnev-—Captain, how many deep square-rigged vessels was 
ever at Santa Monica ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—There has been a few coasters there; what you 
might call square ; briggantines and barks ; but only one foreign vessel, 
the Frank Austin, that towed out of there. 

Mr. Cole.—I had statistics of a great many vessels that landed at a 
certain place on that bay and had discharged cargo there in that bay, 
the bay of Santa Monica; a great many vessels ; within the last three 
years. 

Someone.—That was Redondo. 

Mr. Polhemus.—There have been, sir, and they have been either 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


51 


steamers or fore and aft vessels. Now, they can work their way out of 
a shore where a square rigged vessel can’t, as any man knows. 

Mr. Cole.—The statement was there was never any vessels in that 
bay. Well, the fact is there have been a great many in there, and they 
have not been lost. 

Mr. Polhemus.—I never made that statement. 

Mr. Fisher.—I would like to answer with regard to the Austin. I 
was there when she came in, and saw the whole thing. I would like to 
ask Captain Polhemus if he knows how that vessel went ashore, or how 
she touched the bottom ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—Only frcxn the Captain’s evidence. I know she was 
on the bottom by the amount of water that she was pumping out of her 
when I got there. 

Mr. Fisher.—The vessel came up alongside that wharf drawing about 
eighteen feet of water, wasn’t she ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—I don’t remember that. 

Mr. Fisher.—The captain, in his awkwardness, allowed his vessel to 
go in where the water was no deeper than the vessel; and I ask you if. 
any vessel on earth wouldn’t go ashore if she got in water that was more 
shallow than the draft of the vessel. I was there at the wharf, and know 
all about it. 

Mr. Wells.—Are there other questions to ask the Captain ? 

Mr. Carpenter.—No other questions. 

Mr. Wells.—Any other questions from Redondo? 

Mr. Stephens.—None. 

Someone.—I would like to ask the Captain a question, with all due 
respect to him. He said: How would a vessel get out of Santa Monica 
with a westerly wind, didn’t you? 

Mr. Polhemus.—No, sir. 

Someone.—I thought you did. 

Mr. Polhemus—No, sir, I did not say that question. I said that that 
English Captain, Evans, said that there was only ninety degrees in deep 
water, or eight points of the compass ; and a deep ship, a dull sailor, 
would run great risk of running on shore. 

Someone.—I would like to have the stenographer’s report regarding 
that statement. I think it was said that it was on a west wind. 

Mr. Polhemus.—I said either east or west. 

Mr. Carpenter.—It don’t matter. 

Mr. Wells.—The correction of the Captain will make it all right in 

the notes, probably. , . 

Someone else.—What is the reason there were more ships lost in 
San Pedro than have been in Santa Monica ? 

Mr Polhemus.—There was a great many more went there. And 
when we have a breakwater, which you will probably some day give us, 
you wont have any more. 

Mr Shorb.—Mr. Chairman, there is a gentlemen here from Long 
Beach that has a petition we would like to have presented to the Board, 
in relation to San Pedro harbor. 


TO THE COMMISSION FOR THE LOCATION OF A DEEP-WATER HARBOR. 

“ Gentlemen: We, a Committee appointed by the citizens of Long 
Beach to furnish data for your consideration, respectfully submit a few 

faC u Fi^ s t° U On Account* of the “Palos Verdes” hills to the west, th^e 
Island of Santa Catalina to the south, and the long stretch of shoal water 
to the southeast, a much better natural protection from winds and heavy 
seas is afforded in San Pedro bay than at any point in Santa Monica bay. 

“ Second A depth of water of thirty feet is had at a distance from 
shore of 1700 to 1800 feet at extreme low tide, and yet the ten fathom 
curve is from three to three and one-half miles distant from shore line, 
thereby giving double the area of water inside the sixty-foot line than 


52 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


can be obtained at any other point between Points “ Dume ” on San 
Juan Capistrano. For correctness of this statement, see United States 
Coast and Government Survey Chart No. 671. 

“ Third. The bottom affords good holding ground for anchorage, 
which is attested by a number of old sea captains now present. 

“Fourth. On account of nearness of good stone, viz.: at Santa Cata¬ 
lina Island, and water transportation therefor, as well as that a larger 
area of water can be enclosed within breakwater, at a less depth of 
water than at any other point under consideration, we believe that the 
harbor can be made at much Jess cost in San Pedro bay than in Santa 
Monica bay. 

“ Fifth. There are two railroads now on the ground, both roads 
coming to the ocean, at Long Beach, as well as at San Pedro, and room 
for all other roads that may wish to come in, and a traffic arrangement 
already exists between the Los Angeles Terminal and Southern Cali¬ 
fornia Roads. Also, almost an unlimited frontage exists for constructing 
piers and wharves. 

“Sixth. A line, of breakwater off San Pedro on Long Beach, fol¬ 
lowing, say the nine fathom line, could be extended from time to time, 
as fast as increasing commerce would demand, in an easterly direction 
until enough water would be enclosed to afford safe anchorage for an 
unlimited number of vessels. 

“ We herewith submit a map of soundings taken at Long Beach in 
May, 1892, and would further state that a contract is now let for building 
a pier at that point to extend into the bay a distance of 1631 feet. 

“ Respectfully submitted, 

“G. M. Walker, 
“Kenyon Cox, 

“W. W. Lowe.” 

Mr. Wells.—It is now in order for anyone who wishes to ask a ques¬ 
tion of the gentleman on the point presented. From Santa Monica first. 

Mr. Carpenter.—We don’t wish to ask him. 

Mr. Wells.—From Redondo? There are none. 

Mr. Dodson —Gentlemen, I wish to state on behalf of San Pedro 
that Mr. Hood has shown that the Southern Pacific owns all the water 
front, which is not so. We had a suit, which was settled last week, 
which was decided by Judge McKinley, that the Southern Pacific didn’t 
own 2000 feet that we were at law with them about. And he also said 
they owned all the land from Timms’ Point to the Government Reserva¬ 
tion, which is not so, either. It is a part of the town of San Pedro, is 
under the control of the town of San Pedro, and is private property. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Hood didn’t make any such statement as that. 
He showed the map, and excepted the property that are town lots in 
San Pedro. 

Mr. Wells.—His statement is on record. 

Mr. Gibbon—I would like to state that Mr. Dodson is one of the 
Board of Trustees in San Pedro. 

Lieut.-Col. Robert.—He so stated. 

Mr. Shorb.—I would like to call Dr. Widney. 

Mr. Widney.—I don’t propose, gentlemen, to make a review of all 
that has been said. I would like to ask the especial attention of my 
friend Judge Carpenter and Mr. Hood. I have heard an old saying that 
there are none so deaf as those that will not hear. I think if the gentle¬ 
men will listen this time carefully they will understand what I said. I 
said this: A harbor that is to handle our commerce must have a water 
front of from six to eight miles. It means not alone shelter for deep- 
sea vessels, but it means shelter for all the schooners and light draught 
vessels, and the dockyards, and so forth. I said we are now using about 
one mile of water front at San Pedro. I said the proposed breakwater 
at Santa Monica would shelter possibly one mile of water front—no 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 53 


more than we are now using. The time will come when we will need 
at least one mile of deep-water front for deep-water vessels. What are 
you going to do then with your light draught ships and docks, and so on ? 
* 9 Y. ma y as k the Government to build another mile, at a cost of four 
millions more. By the time you get your six or seven miles of water 
front it will cost from twenty-four to twenty-eight millions of dollars, 
because every mile of water front will cost four millions. You will have 
to build your mile of breakwater to shelter schooners the same as to 
shelter deep-water vessels. Now, I said the result would be this : You 
might possibly get the Government to build one mile, but no more. 
That would go to your deep-water vessels; and your light draught vessels 
and dock yards are compelled to go to some other point, and then you 
have two harbors instead of one. Now, I think you understand me. I 
have been in the harbor business for years ; propably before you, Mr. 
Hood. It was in my office that the plans were laid for the first subsidy 
that was given to the Southern Pacific to occupy this country a great 
many years ago, and I know all about it. I knew all of their engineers, 
for years and years. I went with Governor Stanford over the harbor 
several times. For about twelve or fifteen years they simply said one 
thing: u There is no other point on this coast where we have even 
thought of going”; and they examined it all carefully. And Governor 
Stanford said: “I expect to live to see the day when our commerce, 
instead of San Francisco, goes to San Pedro.” And they stayed there 
for years; in the winter, when there were vessels there ; year after year. 
And that wa 5 the only point, when they tore their wharf down at Santa 
Monica, and said it was worthless Now they want to change front, 
and say “We will go to Santa Monica.” I am sorry to say, gentlemen, 
we have realized one thing in this country. The Southern Pacific came 
here and had everybody for its friend; but we have learned that when 
they want anything very badly our interest lies the other way. They 
have whirled front, after about fifteen years’ use and advocacy of San 
Pedro, and gone to Santa Monica, and are building a wharf there. And 
I would advise our citizens to ask who owns the land right back. I don’t 
know. I know some of my acquaintances were endeavoring to buy a 
certain tract of land down about Santa Monica Canon, involving a great 
many hundred acres. The man said it was bid in for the Southern 
Pacific. It is gone. We have lost it. It is not in their name, but it is 
bought for them, and we have lost it. Here is a narrow strip of land 
in front of a bluff about a hundred feet high, and the Southern Pacific 
has a right of way all along that; and that is where the breakwater is 
to go; and what chance has anybody else? At San Pedro we have two 
railroads in already. We have a large private ownership on the interior 
harbor, and the city retains part ownership. 

Now, coming to the point in question, it is not a matter about which 
point is most exposed. As I said this morning, in the beginning of a 
storm San Pedro is more exposed, and at the end Santa Monica is more 
exposed; and a breakwater will protect either. The point is : Where 
is the place that we can get the Government to build a breakwater that 
will be large enough to do any good for the money they will give us ? 
Now. if you go to Santa Monica, we simply have, at an expense of four 
millions, one mile of breakwater, sheltering one mile of frontage on 
one side. That is all. And the Government is not going to give us 
twenty millions of dollars. It won’t do it. At San Pedro, however, 
we have the possibility of unlimited water frontage, up to twenty feet, 
inside, which is already partly made, and we only have to ask four 
millions of dollars to shelter all the deep-water vessels on the outside, 
and that is all; and we have a harbor that will shelter all the commerce 
that is to come. We ought not to allow our selfish interest to come 
between us. The Government will only do so much. The breakwater 
shelter isn’t the only point; but at San Pedro, with the assistance the 
Government has already been, we have miles of inside shelter already, 


54 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


and we only need enough additional to shelter a few deep-water vessels, 
and we have the harbor completed. At the other point we have to 
build miles of deep-water breakwater to shelter small craft, or else have 
some at one port and some at the other. 

There have been three shipwrecks at San Pedro ; the statistics show 
for 1887, 887 vessels arriving there ; in 1888, 1092. Now, for thirty years 
they have been coming there, and they have aggregated thousands of 
arrivals. And, even in its unsheltered condition, they lost but three 
vessels. At Santa Monica there have simply been light vessels, and it 
has not been tested. I believe I have covered every point. 

Mr. Wells.—Has Santa Monica any questions they wish to ask of 
Dr. Widney? 

Mr. Carpenter.—How many vessels do you say, Doctor, have gone 
ashore at San Pedro ? 

Mr. Widney.—I understood the statement to be three. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, what were their names? 

Mr. Widney.—Captain Polhemus, you are the authority upon that. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, do you know anything about the bark Nick 
Biddle going ashore, in ’76 ; the bark Calor, February 8,- 

Mr. Polhemus.—I mentioned her name. 

Mr. Carpenter.—The bark Adelaide Cooper, December 20, 1879. Do 
you know anything about that ? 

Mr. Polhemus.—I mentioned her name. 

Mr. Carpenter.—I am not now talking to you. 

Mr. Wells.—I would suggest that this be confined to the Doctor. 

Mr. Carpenter.—I am questioning the Doctor. The Doctor asserted 
that but three vessels- 

Mr. Widney.—Excuse me, sir. I said about three vessels. I have 
taken them as my authority, and I simply showed the small per cent. 
It may run three or four or five, but Captain said about three. 

Mr. Carpenter.—I have a list of nine here, running all the way from 
April 8, 1876, until September 26, 1888. 

Mr. Widney.—As I said, however, these are unimportant points, 
because at either point a breakwater shelters, and so there will be no 
further loss of that kind. 

Mr. Carpenter.—All right. 

Mr. Cole.—Can a breakwater be constructed in the harbor of San 
Pedro that will protect a vessel against the southeasters? 

Mr. Widney.—That is what the harbor is for, simply. 

Mr. Cole.—Will it shelter the vessel against those violent winds, any 
harbor that can be made there? 

Mr. Widney.—The line of the sea-wall is directly between the vessel 
and the southeast. The statement of the engineers, made to me in San 
Francisco and also here, was that, with that breakwater built, there was 
as absolute protection from a southeaster, for about a mile of water 
front, as the most sheltered part of San Francisco bay. 

Mr. Cole.—The question is, can a breakwater be built so as to shelter 
the vessel from the violent southeast winds? Wouldn’t the harm be 
the same? 

Mr. Widney.—The harm, certainly, to the rigging of the vessel, but 
it would afford protection from the swell of the sea that comes in. You 
never expect to shelter the rigging of the vessel. 

Mr. Cole.—Do they haul around with a greater degree of violence to 
the west than they have when it comes from the southeast ? 

Mr. Widney.—Our heaviest winds come from the west. It comes 
with a vicious snap we never get from the southeast. 

Mr. Cole.—Did you ever know of any vessel being driven on the 
shore from a westerly wind at San Pedro ? 

Mr. Widney.—Sir? 

Mr. Cole.—Did you ever know any vessel of the nine that have been 
driven ashore to be driven ashore by a westerly wind ? 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


55 


1 don’t suppose it would be possible, because they are 
^ s ^ e ^ ter ^die land. When it gets to the west they have the 

reel and the Santa Monica mountains. 

southeast^ 6 t y° u know the violent and dangerous winds are the 

Mr. Widney. Yes. At Santa Monica the dangerous wind is from 
the west. 

Mr. Cole.—-Did you ever know any violent wind from the west 
coming into the bay of Santa Monica or Redondo? 

Mr. Widney. I have heard of a great many. I have never been 
^wn there myself, personally ; but I have had the newspaper reports 
and the persons who were down there at the time. 

Mr. Cole.—So as to do any damage? 

Mr. Widney.—There were no vessels to do any damage to. They 
told me one time they had to run the train off the wharf for fear the 
wharf would, and the warehouse and all would go; and they took the 
train away on the land for fear it would get away with the whole thing 
one time when the wind was from the west. 

Mr. Wells.—I think that is all, Doctor. 

Mr. Shorb.—Mr. Chairman, as far as Wilmington and San Pedro is 
concerned, we will rest our case. We will leave the case just exactly 
where we felt inclined to at first—in the hands of these gentlemen. I 
have, with the permission of the Board, some statictics of San Pedro 
harbor; and, as a part of our proof, we submit the report of the last 
Board of Engineers. 

Mr. Wells.—Santa Monica now has the floor. Mr. Reynolds. 

Mr. Reynolds.—There is one thing we would like to have, and that is 
a copy of the answer to our report. 

Mr. Wells.—I have no doubt Judge Carpenter will furnish you with a 
copy of that answer. Have you anything to present, Judge Carpenter, 
in the matter of Santa Monica? 

Mr. Carpenter.—We will give it to him when we get it. Mr. Presi¬ 
dent and gentlemen of the Board. We have no testimony to introduce, 
but I think, perhaps, it may be not amiss to make a few remarks upon 
the testimony that has been introduced and the statements that have 
been made by the gentlemen from San Pedro. 

They seem to rest their case chiefly upon abuse of and distrust and 
denunciation of the Southern Pacific Railroad. What that has to do 
with the question before this commission I do not comprehend. I am 
perfectly aware that the gentlemen and their colleagues, and in the 
political circles, are making abundant use of it; but I do not understand 
what it has to do before this tribunal. If the Southern Pacific was on 
trial it could show that its iron horse came over the sierras when this 
was a dense forest of wilderness, and a sheep pasture, and developed 
almost the entire interest. All the progress of the State was owing to 
that very development. And this is the gratitude that Republics give to 
their savior. But the Southern Pacific has nothing particularly to do 
with this question. 

Again, the gentlemen contend that they don’t want a harbor at Santa 
Monica because the Southern Pacific has gobbled up everything there, 
or will gobble up everything. Well now, from their standpoint, the 
Southern Pacific has gobbled up everything at San Pedro, and yet they 
don’t want a harbor at Santa Monica because the Southern Pacific may 
hereafter gobble up everything there. They have got you down to the 
water’s edge. 

Several.—No, no. 

Mr. Carpenter.—You can’t get over a foot of their road or their track, 
unless you condemn it. Now, how is it in Santa Monica? This gentle¬ 
man, my distinguished friend, my high-toned and moral friend, after 
the testimony was upon the stand that the only right that the Southern 
Pacific Companv had was a right of way along the beach fifty feet wide, 


56 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 




still threw out the intimation that a lot of land there fronting: the sea has 
been bought by the Southern Pacific, without a particle of proof, and 
there is no proof, to sustain it. It is absolutely untrue. Now, I appear 
for Santa Monica as well. We say that is one reason why we should 
have a harbor—because Jones & Baker and others own the frontage, 
and the railroad company does not; that other roads have a right to 
come in there. There is room for them to come, and the attorney ol 
Messrs. Jones & Baker has stated here upon this stand that it was apart 
of the condition of granting a right of way to the Southern Pacific, to 
confine that line so that other roads should have a free passage along 
that beach. And yet the Doctor intimates that the Southern Pacific has 
the land. Other roads can go there, is the truth; and there is not a 
cintilla of proof to the contrary. A wagon road does run along the 
beach, parallel with the railroad, past the wharf the Southern Pacific 
are constructing. That anybody can see, unless they are blind, if they 
are upon the ground ; and that is a fact that is in proof before this 
Board. 

Now, who has proved that Santa Monica is not a good bay ? Any 
body? No. Who has proved that the soundings are bad? Anybody ? 
No. It is not necessary for me, and it is not necessary for the cause I 
represent, and the parties I represent do not wish that any attack 
should be made upon San Pedro. We havd no attack to make upon 
Redondo. The people of Southern California, and the people of Los 
Angeles especially, want a safe deep-sea harbor for the commerce of 
this beautiful country. We had rather have it at San Pedro than no¬ 
where. We would rather have it at Redondo than nowhere. We prefer 
Santa Monica, because as Mr. Hood said in his testimony, in the judg¬ 
ment of the Company, nature had directed that as the point of arrival 
and departure. The railroads have no option about it. If that is a 
nearer point by land, if it is nearer by sea, if you must pass Santa 
Monica with ships coming from the north or coming from Nicaragua to 
go to San Pedro, then the distance in time and distance in miles drives 
the shipping and the commerce to Santa Monica. This is an age of 
steam, ot rapid thought, of rapid action; and if there is but a few miles 
different, but a few minutes—and here the proof is at the lowest calcu¬ 
lation it is between two and three hours—no gentlemen on that Board 
need be told that the business will go to the point on the coast where 
Los Angeles can be reached the most speedily and safely. This is not 
a time when men go five hundred miles around, or fifty miles around, 
when they can save the distance. There are six miles difference 
between San Pedro and Los Angeles and Santa Monica and Los 
Angeles. That is enough to settle the question of itself. But, besides 
that, vessels that come down the coast stop to unload at Santa Monica, 
and then go on to San Pedro; making hours of difference in the time 
that passengers and freight would arrive here ; making it as the gentle¬ 
man so well said, nature’s point. And the road was driven there. 

Why, do you suppose the Southern Pacific Railroad that has been 
accused of being so bad, accused of being a robber, but never of being 
a fool that I have heard of—do you suppose they pulled up their tracks 
in San Pedro, a dozen lines of road there, and all their buildings, and 
all their expenditures, and have gone off to put them down in Santa 
Monica, in a new place, unless they were driven to it by the stress of 
commerce and necessity ? Why should they have done it for any other 
purpose? 

But, after all, gentlemen of the Board, the question comes down to 
a matter of engineering, a matter of figures ; and that you will deter¬ 
mine from the proof that has been and will be laid before you. We 
want what is fair. We want no aspersions cast upon anybody, without 
some proof. We have cast none upon the other side. We have abused 
nobody; we have denounced nobody; we have questioned nobody’s 
motives, and we humbly submit that nobody has a right, in the name 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


57 


of morality or conscience or any other thing, to question ours, until 
there is some proof that they are wrong. We stand upon our manhood 
and our rights. We can defend Santa Monica without aspersing or 
lying about or abusing San Pedro or Redondo or any railroad under 
heaven. We stand upon the bottom of truth and of justice and ot com¬ 
mercial economy, and the best interests of the people of Southern 
California. And that is a platform, sir, that will stand when all these 
miserable insinuations, with their authors, are buried in eternal oblivion. 

Mr. Gibbon.—I would like to ask a question of Judge Carpenter. 
You have just spoken of the importance of saving two or three hours 
in the business coming from San Francisco. Wouldn’t exactly that 
same rule apply to the business which will come from Nicaragua canal 
to San Pedro ? 

Mr. Carpenter.—Yes, if it came that way. But the proof is, if you 
paid any attention to it, that it would have to come by Santa Monica to 
go to San Pedro. That is the proof, that that would be the line of 
sailing vessels; that it would come there and go by Santa Monica. 

Mr. Dodson.—If a steam vessel was coming from Nicaragua would 
she have to go above the islands to come down? v 

Mr. Carpenter.—No, I think not; but I think they generally do make 
that point, because it is the best view. But when Santa Monica has a 
harbor and a lighthouse, they would steer precisely that way. Any more 
questions, gentlemen ? 

Someone.—Did I understand you to say, Judge, this was the age of 
steam ? 

Mr. Carpenter.—Yes. 

Someone.—Does the steamer generally take a roundabout way to 
get a certain point? 

Mr. Carpenter.—No. Nobody has been talking about a steamer. 

Someone.—You said it was an age of steam. 

Mr. Carpenter.—I do. There is steam from Redondo here, and 
Santa Monica here, and one is about eighteen minutes, or twenty, 


sooner than the other. 

Someone.—Supposing we get steamers from Nicaragua. What 
then ? 

Mr. Carpenter—My dear friend, nobody has this testimony—none of 
it applies to steamers. Everybody, I think, knows that a steamship can 
go against the wind, against the tide. 

Someone—Yes, sir. They don’t go round about to get anything. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Nobody has been talking about steamers but you. 

Mr. Wells.—We want to get through with it as soon as we can. 

Mr. Carpenter.—That is right. I am here to do so. 

Mr Wells.—Are there other questions for information which it is 
desired to ask Judge Carpenter from San Pedro ? If it is not, Redondo 
will have a chance. 

Mr. Stephens.—We have none. , 

Mr. Wells.—Are there any gentlemen to hear from on the part of 
Santa Monica? 

Mr. Carpenter.—I think that is all. 

Mr. Wells—Redondo will come next in the wishes of the Board. 
Has Redondo anything further to present ? 

Mr. Stephens.—Nothing. .. . . 

Col Craighill.—I think, gentlemen, we may thank you all for the 
very full discussion of the subject we hav^e had from every point of view, 
I think • and, if there is anyone who wishes to say anything more, we 
will sit to hear him, although I think we have had enough. But I will 
sav this • that if there are any written communications that are to be 
made to’the Board, we would wish to have them as soon as possible. 
And I think it likely the best channel they could come would be through 
the President of the Chamber of Commerce, with whom we will leave 


8 


58 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


our address. And we would be glad to have any further information as 
to facts. Those are what we want; facts. 

Mr. Walton.—Mr. Chairman, I dislike taking up the time of the 
Board, and especially on the first subject that was alluded to at the 
meeting this morning, and that was the commercial necessities for a 
harbor. Our friend Dr. Widney and the Honorable J. de Barth Shorb 
both made some statements in regard to the subject as it applied to 
sailing vessels, and to the Nicaragua canal, and other possibilities. And 
I would like to take just one minute in which to make a statement as 
regards the way it applies to present conditions. I wish to call the 
attention to this steamship line that has been running from New York to 
the Pacific Coast, carrying over 50,000,000 pounds of merchandise in the 
past year from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Coast; great steel 
steamships that come by way of the Straits, of Magellan to the Pacific 
Coast, something like 14,000 miles, with but one stop. What condition 
are they in when they arrive here ? They have steamed for twenty-two 
days from Coronel, Chile, which is the only stopping point where they 
coal. They arrive here. The first thing, almost, that is a necessity 
from an engineering standpoint is to draw their fires and blow off their 
steam, and to begin to generally overhaul the vessel while she is lying 
idle. What condition are those vessels in then ? They have two or 
three iron masts that are used for the purpose of hoisting out the cargo ; 
possibly, in case of great necessity, for hoisting sails upon ; but they are 
not available. Those vessels, when they are in a harbor in Southern 
California, are as helpless, and more so, than the worst hulks that run 
up and down the coast. They have no steam and no motive power. 
They have nothing but their anchors to hold them. And while, during 
that 360 days our friends have spoken about wherein there is no neces¬ 
sity for more than a piece of darning cotton to hold these vessels right 
where they should be, there are five or six days when it is a vital neces¬ 
sity that they should have protection. I am speaking of present 
conditions ; not of future conditions. These same vessels, that don’t 
come around by way of Santa Monica to get into San Pedro any more 
than they go by way of the Hawaiian Islands to get into Redondo—they 
have been coming straight, and are coming. And I say the present 
necessities are that we should have something in the way of a break- 
waiter protection, somewhere, for these vessels. Although our com¬ 
merce is from the south, the three points contesting are but a few hours 
apart, and it don’t make much difference to us which is selected ; but I 
simply speak of the commercial necessity and the immediate necessity 
of a breakwater somewhere, and where our cargoes when they arrive 
may be delivered in Los Angeles to the merchants at a reasonable rate. 
And, in order that they may have a reasonable rate, it seems tame 
eminently necessary that there should be more than one line of railroad 
from that harbor to Los Angeles to haul it. 

Mr. Shorb.—I move, sir, that the thanks ot this assembly be tendered 
to the honorable Board for the kindly and courteous manner in which 
they have received all the information which has been given today, 
sometimes, and possibly by myself, in a way that might have been dif¬ 
ferent. 

Seconded. 

Mr. Wells.—It is moved and seconded that a vote of thanks be ten¬ 
dered to the Board of Engineering Officers for the kind and courteous 
manner in which they have received all the information which has been 
given them. Are you ready for the question? 

The motion was put and unanimously carried. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Mr. Chairman, I wish to ask the gentleman if he 
will permit me to ask him a question. 

Mr. Walton.—At your disposal. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Who is the agent here of that line of steamers that 
you have been describing? 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


59 


Mr. Walton.—I am. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Well, I thought it was your little advertisement. It 
is all right. 

Col. Craighill.—Of course we are very much obliged to you gentle¬ 
men for the kind resolution which has been passed, and we have done 
nothing more than our duty; and, if it were necessary, we would stay 
here several days; but we think we have it all now. There is one thing 
one of my colleages is desirous of asking, and that is a question that 
has been omitted, thus far. 

Lieut.-Col. Robert.—I just wish to have clearly in my mind one 
point. I think I understand it, but I would like to know whether there 
is any person in this room that knows of any cag£ at any one of these 
three harbors where a vessel — where the anchor has failed to hold, 
where the tackle was good, and everything, but where the trouble has 
been — these disasters that have been spoken of—where the trouble has 
arisen from the lack of good holding ground ; where that has been the 
case; where there is any case on record, at any one of the three harbors 
referred to. If there is, I should like for you to say so right here, and 
mention the case, so that if there is none mentioned we will understand 
there has been no case where the disaster was due to the failure of the 
holding ground. 

Mr. Wells.—Is there any gentleman that knows of such a case? 

Someone.—Mr. Chairman, I believe it is a question, if you will allow 
me, that nobody can answer, for the reason Santa Monica never had no 
vessels in that port, if you call it a port, with the exception of small — 
some schooners, and small schooners that went to anchor there- 

Mr. Wells.—The Board will understand and take that into account. 
The question is, does anyone know of any particular case to refer to 
the Board? 

Major Raymond.—At any one of the points ? 

Col. Craighill.—The whole area covered by this investigation, Santa 
Monica bay and San Pedro bay, without any reference to any particular 
locality. Has there ever been known a vessel to drag her anchor and 
be wrecked ? If there is one that anybody can tell us of, we would be 
glad to know it; and, if it is a matter of record, let us have it in writing. 
And in this connection, Judge, I would be very glad if you will furnish 
us a list of those wrecks of which you spoke, with the dates, and the 
draft of the ships, and their general location in the positions in which 
the disasters took place. 

Mr. Carpenter.—Very well. As soon as possible. I cannot do it 
today. 

Col. Craighill.—Yes. With thanks again to the gentlemen, the 
Board will retire and leave the assembly in the hands of the chairman. 


TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNMENT ENGINEERS APPOINTED TO INVESTI¬ 
GATE WITH REGARD TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DEEP-WATER 
HARBOR IN THE BAYS OF SAN PEDRO OR SANTA MONICA. 

Gentlemen: The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce in the matter 
of the proposed deep-water harbor in the vicinity of Los Angeles, Cali¬ 
fornia, beg leave respectfully to ask your attention to the following 
reasons why such harbor should be constructed : 

ist. Between the ports of San Diego and San Francisco there is a 
coast line of some five hundred miles exposed to the full force of the 
south and west gales of winter, which are on-shore winds, without a 
single harbor of shelter or refuge. A large coast and foreign commerce 
passes along this unsheltered coast line exposed to its dangers. With 
the completion of the Nicaragua canal, and with the constantly increas- 



60 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


ing population of Southern California, this traffic, both coastwise and 
foreign, must rapidly increase; and with each year of growth the need 
of a harbor of refuge for shelter and repairs, becomes greater. 

2nd. While a large population now seeks the sea as its outlet at 
this point, a vastly increased population must do so in the future. It is 
estimated that the lands of Southern California which naturally drain to 
the sea at this point will support a population of several millions. Back of 
these, however, lie the large, fertile valleys of Arizona. These valleys 
will support a population of a number of millions. They are already 
rapidly filling with population. Two outlets; and only two, to the open 
sea are possible to these people; one westward by the San Gorgonio 
pass back of Los Angeles, the other southward by the Gulf of California. 
The 700 miles of narrow gulf navigation southward, with the calms and 
tropic heat are a bar which must force this traffic westward by the 
shorter and cooler line, to the open sea at this point. 

3rd. The great interior plateau which stretches from the Sierra to 
the Rocky Mountains, and which embraces northern Arizona, Utah and 
Nevada, and the territories north, finds its natural grade to the sea 
southward through Southern California, rather than westward across the 
Sierra. Before the building of the Central Pacific across the Sierra, 
the traffic of all this region came by wagon trains southward by three 
natural grades to the sea, at the roadstead of San Pedro bay. The 
Central Pacific has to cross the Sierra at an elevation of 7017 feet on its 
way to San Francisco. The Southern Pacific crosses the same range by 
the Soledad pass southward from this interior plateau to Los Angeles, at 
an elevation of only 2822 feet. The Santa Fd by the Cajon pass, at an 
elevation of only 3819 feet, and the Southern Pacific crosses the moun¬ 
tains at San Gorgonio, at the extraordinarily low elevation of 2560 feet, 
on its way from Los Angeles to deep water at Galveston. It is this law 
of grades which is forcing the newer roads southward to flank the high 
mid Sierra, for that range has its highest crest opposite San Francisco, 
and drops as it comes southward. With the construction of a deep¬ 
water harbor in the bay of San Pedro or of Santa Monica, and the 
completion of the Inyo and the Salt Lake roads southward, this whole 
plateau, because of the easier grade, will again seek to do its shipping 
southward as it did in the days before the building of the Central Pacific 
through the port of San Pedro. 

4th. The completion of the Nicaragua canal will materially help to 
effect this changing of trade lines to the southern ports, as the traffic 
from the Atlantic coast and from Europe, which now goes by sail vessels 
via Cape Horn, and which after rounding the Horn strikes well out to 
the mid Pacific to catch the trade winds, and then more easily makes 
the port of San Francisco, will be transferred to propellers via the canal, 
which will hug the shore on the way north as its shortest line, and wili 
reach the southern ports first. This will give the short sea carriage and 
the low land grades to the interior of the continent by the southern 
ports as against the longer sea voyage, and the high grades of the 
northern routes. 

5th. The Government is now expending large sums of money to 
make a deep-water harbor at Galveston upon the Gulf coast. To make 
that expenditure productive of its fullest results, it must have its com¬ 
plement upon the Pacific, as this will be the shortest line with the 
easiest grades from sea to sea over American territory. 

6th. San Diego, the only deep-water harbor of Southern California, 
lies a hundred miles south of the present and future population, and 
the same distance south of the mountain passes which give outlet to 
the sea for the interior territories before mentioned. With all the 
inconvenience and expense incident to lighterage in open roadsteads, 
the traffic both local and from the interior, as mentioned in this article^ 
is handled here at the proposed sites of the deep-water harbor, rather 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


61 


than go south to San Diego and away from population, capital and the 
direct lines of trade. 

The Chamber would ask your attention to the annexed tables of 
trade statistics, railroad lines, population, etc. 


THE VINEYARb INDUSTRY. 


The vineyard industry of the southern counties is fairly shown by 
the following conservative estimate of the acreage in vines at the 
beginning of the present season : 


Fresno. 

Tulare. 

Los Angeles... 
San Bernardino 

Kern. 

Ventura. 

Santa Barbara . 


Acreage in Vines. 
.... 49,500 
.... 9,919 

.... 4,695 

.... 3,615 

.... 2,173 

320 

.... 270 


Total. 70,492 

The above acreage is set out to wine, raisin and table grapes, the 
greater portion being in raisin varieties. 

The acreage in table grapes need hardly be taken into consideration, 
the area to those varieties alone being comparatively small; moreover, 
a considerable part of the supply of table fruit comes from the raisin 
vineyards. There are at least 50,000 acres in raisin grapes, and about 
19,000 acres in wine grapes, but these figures do not give a true idea of 
the amount which finds its way to the wineries, as a large proportion of 
the second crop of the raisin vineyards will be absorbed by the distill¬ 
ers. The output from the above acreage will be increased largely 
within the next three years, as there is a considerable area not yet in 
full bearing. 

Past experience has shown that an amount of four tons per acre is a 
fair estimate for the average yield of wine grapes ; on this basis, the 
above figures of 19,000 acres would give 76,000 tons of wine grapes 
proper; in addition to this there must be taken into account the second 
crop from the raisin vineyards, which at one ton per acre would give 
50,000 tons more, or a total of 126,000 tons to be handled in the wine¬ 
ries, and there converted into wine and brandy." 

As the weight of the cask is reckoned to equal the weight of the 
refuse (stems, skins and seeds) in wine making, the above total of 
126,000 tons may be taken as a fair estimate of the tonnage of wine and 
brandy produced from the 70,000 acres, the bulk of which would find its 
v^ay to a deep-sea harbor, as a natural means of exit on its road to the 
Eastern States and to Europe. 

At the late meeting of enquiry held in Los Angeles, the reporters 
quoted a prominent wine-maker as saying that, “This country has 
imported during the last year two hundred and eighty millions (280,000,- 
000) of gallons of wine.” This, of course, was a great error; what he 
did say was that, “ France imported this amount of wine which came 
from Italy, Algeria and Spain .” This wine was nearly all sold at public 
auction, and the prices realized were recorded and published in certain 
papers devoted to the wine industry; these reports are as correct as 
the reports of the stock markets at New York or London ; the average 
price realized for this wine was from thirty to thirty-three cents per 
gallon. There is no reason for doubting that, if the various matters 
relating to our wine trade were properly regulated, and adjusted to 
those of France, we could obtain a large proportion of the above men¬ 
tioned trade and if we could obtain an equal price, then all the good 
grapes grown in this southern country would be worth from $25.00 to 
$50.00 per ton, as they are in France, Italy and Spain, which would 












62 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


make a handsome return on the capital invested in the business, and 
would soon turn all the uncultivated and barren looking hillsides into 
handsome vineyards, and fill our country with a happy, conservative 
and prosperous people. 

Fresno county and the adjoining districts have been included in this 
estimate of the acreage under vines, because we take it for granted that 
when the Nicaragua or Panama, or possibly both canals are completed, 
Fresno will ship by way of our harbor here, rather than by San Fran¬ 
cisco, and as undoubtedly Los Angeles would be the center of this 
trade for Southern California, possibly even the produce of Orange and 
San Diego counties would also reach this point. 

ORE DEPOSITS. 

Immense and valuable deposits of magnetic and hematite iron ores 
are found about twenty-five miles easterly from Victor on the southerly 
slope of the Lava Bed range of mountains. One of the most remarka¬ 
ble deposits of magnetic iron ore yet discovered on this Continent is 
found about twenty miles southeasterly from Newbery station, on the 
Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. The quantity is practically unlimited, and 
the quality unsurpassed, and has been pronounced by expert and prac¬ 
tical iron and steel manufacturers from Pennsylvania to be equal to, if 
not better than the ore of any mine in the world for the manufacture of 
steel. The quantity and quality is such as to justify the erection of enor¬ 
mous plants here for the manufacture of iron and steel as soon as cheap 
fuel can be obtained. 

I am informed by one of the leading iron and steel manufacturers 
of Reading, Pa., that a very large business could be done in shipping 
this ore to Reading and Pittsburgh if we had a good harbor where a 
large amount of tonnage could be secured. He stated in explanation 
that there was very little first class iron ore, suitable for the manufacture 
of steel, to be had now in Pennsylvania, and that the manufacturers there 
were getting it from all parts of the world where ships could obtain 
first-class ore for freight or ballast. 

There is enough salt in Southern California to supply this Continent 
for alt time if transportation for it could be had. There is a mountain 
of it near Resting Springs in San Bernardino county, where it can be quar¬ 
ried like rock, and a few miles south of Cadiz, on the Atlantic & Pacific 
Railroad, there is a deposit covering more than 250 acres, and of 
unknown depth, from which pieces of pure crystals of salt can be 
obtained, that are several inches in thickness and so clear and trans¬ 
parent that a newspaper could be read through them. There is also 
immense quantities of it to be had at Salton, on the Southern Pacific 
Railroad. 

Valuable copper mines are found in the near vicinity of the iron 
mines mentioned above. Many valuable gold mines are found in the 
San Jacinto mountains near Perris, also on the northerly slope of the 
San Bernardino mountains, and many very valuable silver-lead mines 
are found in Southern California. Sand suitable for the manufacture of 
the better grades of glass, is found in large quantities in Los Angeles 
county. The deposits are heavy and the quality as good as any ever 
discovered elsewhere. Some of the finest deposits of bituminous lime 
rock known are found in Southern California. In Ventura county are 
found some of the largest asphaltum mines on the continent. Deposits 
of graphite, sulphur, manganese, gypsum, asbestos, soda, nitre, and in 
short almost every mineral substance found in nature occurs in South¬ 
ern California. 

Of fine building stone we have an almost infinite variety. In Ven¬ 
tura county we find deposits of red and brown sand stone in unlimited 
quantities. In one place the exposure shows a thickness of about two 
thousand feet. Enormous quantities of this beautiful stone have already 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


68 


been quarried and shipped for building purposes. Experts report it to 
be equal to any brown sand stone in the United States. In Los Angeles 
county, near Lordsburg, on the Santa F£ Railroad, is a large deposit 
of brown sand stone that is extensively used for building purposes. 

There are many extensive marble quarries furnishing a superior 
quality of marble for building and other purposes, also many granite 
quarries furnishing a superior quality of granite for all uses. In 
fact, Southern California is as well supplied with choice building stone 
as any section of the United States. 


INCREASE* IN ASSESSED VALUATIONS OF LANDS. 


Los Angeles. 

1892. $82,860,322 

1882. 20,916,835 


61,943,487 

Santa Barbara. 

1892. $16,679,900 
1882. 5,<076,643 


11,603,259 

San Bernardino. 

1892. $25,647,315 
1882. 3 ^ 25,343 


21,172,972 

Fresno. 

1892. $40,919,010 

1882. 7,071,198 


33,847,812 


Increase, $61,943,487 


Increase, $11,603,259 


Increase, $21,172,972 


Increase, $33,847,812 
Total. $128,567,530 


Showing the increase in assessed valuation of San Luis Obispo, 
Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties from 1885 to 1891 : 


San Luis Obispo. 

1891. $14,090,675 
1885. 9 , 7 i 9 d 54 

4 , 37 L 52 i 

Kern. 

1891. $12,870,691 

1885. 8,587,400 


4,283,291 

Tulare. 

1891. $24,467,407 
1885. 11,983,925 

12,483,482 

Ventura. 

1891. $ 7 , 861,975 

1885. 4 , 574,208 


3,287,767 


Increase, $ 4 , 37 L 52 i 


Increase, $ 4,283,291 


Increase, $12,483,483 


Increase, $ 3,287,767 


Total, $24,426,061 












64 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


Showing increase in assessed valuation of Orange county from 1889 
to 1892: 

Orange. 

1892. $9,458,528 

1889. 8,646,024 


812,504 Total increase, $812,504 
Increase in assessed valuation of improvements: 

Los Angeles. 

1892. $15,834,390 
1882. 3,779,276 


12,055,114 Increase, $12,055,114 

Santa Barbara. 

1892. $ 2,342,285 
1882. 943,58o 


1,398,705 Increase, $ 1,398,705 

San Bernardino. 

1892 $ 5,181,430 

1882. 711,111 


4,470,319 Increase, $ 4,470,319 


Total, $17,924,138 

Showing the increase from 1885 to 1891 in the assessed valuation of 
improvements on property in San Luis Obispo, Tulare and Ventura 
counties: 

San Luis Obispo. 


1891. $ i,539,no 
1885. 1,147,146 



39 L 964 

Increase, $ 391,964 

Tulare. 



1891. 

$ 2,319,480 


1885. 

244,258 



2,075,222 

Increase, $ 2,075,222 

Ventura. 



1891. 

$ 816,599 


1885. 

473,322 



343,277 Increase, $ 343,277 


Total. $ 2,810,463 

ACREAGE OF GRAIN, VINES, AND FRUIT TREES. 

Acreage sown to grain for 1892 in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, 
Orange, San Bernardino, Kern and San Luis Obispo counties, 598,220 
acres. 

Acreage in vines, 1892, in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, 
Orange, San Bernardino, Kern, Fresno and San Luis Obispo counties, 
68,339 acres. 

Number of bearing fruit trees in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Bar¬ 
bara, Orange, San Bernardino, Tulare, Kern, Fresno and San Luis 
Obispo counties, 4,571,516 bearing fruit trees. 











REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


65 


VALUE OF PRODUCTS. 

t a 1 1891 ‘ , Cwt. of Wheat. Cwt. of Barley. Cwt. of Corn. 

Los Angeles and Orange Co. 486,000 1,216,890 200,000 

Total value. .$2,122,300 

San Bernardino and northern San Diego Counties, wheat and 

barley, cwt. 750,000 

Value.$ r ,000.000 

Ventura and So. Santa Barbara Counties, wheat and barley, 

cwt . 500,000 

Value. $ 600,000 

Sacks of corn. 100,000 

Value. $ 150,000 

Beans—pounds.37,732,154 

MANUFACTURES. 

In the line of manufactures Southern California is somewhat back¬ 
ward. The utilization of our many valuable natural products has not 
received the attention which it deserves. This has been largely due to 
the cost of fuel, labor and transportation and the high rates paid for 
money. But these obstacles are rapidly being removed. 

While this is not a manufacturing section as generally understood, 
there are many manufacturing establishments in Southern California, 
and their number is being continually increased. Among the most im¬ 
portant articles that are made here may be mentioned iron castings, iron 
and cement pipe, machinery, brick, canned and dried fruit, boxes, flour, 
crackers, soap, doors and sashes, mineral water, beer, wine and brandy, 
furniture, candy, pickles, ice and sugar. 

Several potato starch factories have been established during the past 
year near Los Angeles. 

Within the city limits of Los Angeles are hundreds of thousands of 
tons of fine glass sand from which, at an experimental test, excellent 
glass has been made. Fifty thousand dollars would liberally equip such 
a factory, yet we import all our glass from the East. 

Immense quantities of raw hides are shipped East and reimported as 
shoes, saddles and harness. There is only one small tannery in this sec¬ 
tion. We should prepare here calf skins and kip skins, also sole and 
harness leather. The expense for tallow and neat’s-foot oil irt the man¬ 
ufacture would be less than in the East. There is some tan-bark oak 
here and large quantities in Lower California. The extract can also be 
imported from the Pennsylvania and West Virginia forests, where it is 
prepared. A shrub also grows from which a;good substitute for tan- 
bark is made. 

A little ordinary wrapping-paper only is made here. There is a good 
opening for one or more paper mills, to make manilla and other papers. 
A vast quantity of paper-cuttings are destroyed, also^large quantities of 
rags, while hemp can be grown here profitably. Fine tissue-paper, for 
wrapping fruit, should be made, and fine wrapping-paper from flax. 
There are a couple of small potteries, but most of our milk and butter 
crocks, jam jars, fruit jars, and flower-pots are still imported, in spite of 
the fact that we have deposits of excellent clay here. There are exten¬ 
sive deposits of mineral paint in several places, which might be profita¬ 
bly worked up. From the residue of petroleum, which is produced 
abundantly here, might be manufactured a great variety of products, 
such as coal-tar colors, lubricating oils (made now on a small scale), 
water proofing, printing ink (which is now manufactured in Ventura 
county), vaseline, benzine and naptha, and washes for insect pests; also 
fuel gas, which is largely made from petroleum in the East. 

Parties are about to erect in this city, smelting and refining works, 
under the name of the Southern California Smelting & Refining Com¬ 
pany. The company is organized under the laws of the State of Min¬ 
nesota, being composed principally of gentlemen residing in that State, 
9 










66 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


associated with other gentlemen residing in the State of New York. 
It is intended to arrange for power for a two hundred ton per day plant, 
but the first furnace erected will be of sixty ton capacity daily. It will 
be followed by others of sixty or forty tons each, as business requires, 
until the full complement of 200 tons capacity, daily, is reached. The 
City Council promptly granted the right, for twenty-five years, to tunnel 
under the river bed for water, should it be found necessary to do so. 
The works are to be erected on the lands immediately south of the 
track of the Terminal Railway, where that road curves to the east, just 
north of the patent boundary line, on the southern limits of the city. 
These works will give employment to a number of men and will doubt¬ 
less also be the means of giving employment to many more in mines of 
low grade ore in this vicinity, now idle. It is confidently believed that 
it will be successful beyond the expectation- of its projectors, and be the 
harbinger of that era of manufacturing which we believe this city will 
attain in the not far distant future. 

THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY. 

The manufacture of sugar from beets in Southern California is still 
in its infancv, but the results of the initial factory at Chino, San Bernar¬ 
dino county, have been of such an encouraging nature that one new 
factory at Anaheim, Orange county, will be constructed at once, and 
preliminary steps have been taken for the construction of others in 
Southern California. At Chino about 3000 acres were planted to sugar 
beets in 1891, and some 5000 acres in 1892. The yield per acre has been 
about fifteen tons, as against twelve tons, the average European yield. 
The total output of sugar from beet sugar factories in the United States, 
during 1891, was 6000 tons, of which nearly one-third was produced by 
the Chino factory. It is estimated that 700 factories the size of the plant 
at Chino would be required, working to their full capacity, to supply 
the demand for sugar in the United States. 

Southern California is especially adapted to the production of the 
sugar beet on account of its peculiar climate, the beet requiring not so 
much a high temperature as a high average temperature, and this it 
secures through the long and dry summer weather prevalent here. The 
sugar beet is not a gross feeder, chemical analysis showing that it 
absorbs only the slightest traces from the soil, the sugar being devel¬ 
oped in the form of carbo-hydrate from the sun and air through the 
leaves. An alkali soil, of which Southern California has many thousand 
acres, has been found peculiarly adapted to the sugar beet. 

It is estimated by a competent authority that there are fully 500,000 
acres of land in the six counties of Southern California lying south ot 
the Tehachepi range, which will produce sugar beets better than any¬ 
thing else, and at a very small cost. This quantity of land, using the 
actual results at Chino as a basis, will produce 300,000 tons of prime 
sugar, being one-fifth of the total consumption of the United States. 
These lands range from dry semi-mesa soils, to semi-moist lands, now 
barren or used as sheep pastures, yielding little for export and requiring 
nothing in the form of imports. Under the stimulus of the success already 
achieved in the direction of beet sugar manufacture, the quick hand of 
American genius and enterprise will in a short time transform these 
barren fields into beet plantations and not only granulate the sugar for 
market, but increase the freight bulk an hundred fold by canning and 
crystallizing thousands of tons of fruits with the product of the sugar 
mill. 


SAN PEDRO SHIPPING. 

Some interesting statistics have been compiled ot the shipping 
business at San Pedro, from the records of the custom house and rail¬ 
roads. The compilation extends over the period from the establish-. 


&EPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


67 


ment of the Wilmington customs district, November n, 1882, to Tune 
30, 1892. 

During the period mentioned, over nine and one-half years, the 
amount of duties collected was $694,670.62; the tonnage, $36,753.87; 
total, $731,424 49. 

The number of vessels which arrived at San Pedro from January 1, 
1887 to June 30, 1892, was as follows: In 1887,887; in 1888, 1092; in 
1889, 588; in 1890. 492; in 1891, 585; in 1892, to June 30th, 307. Of 
these, 283 were foreign vessels. 

During the period from January r, 1884, to June 30, 1892, there were 
received in imports at San Pedro, 757, 633 tons of bituminous coal, 702,- 
634,190 feet of lumber, and 235,033 tons general merchandise. In 1888 
and 1891 there were received 28,402 casks of cement. 

During the years 1885 to 1891, inclusive, there were of foreign 
exports, 16,076 tons of wheat. Of domestic exports in 1890, embracing 
a large number of articles, there were shipped 15,289 tons; in 1891, 
16,963 tons, and in 1892, up to June 30th, 3,841 tons. 


AREA AND POPULATION, 

That portion of this State which is included under the distinctive ap¬ 
pellation of Southern California comprises the counties of Los Angeles, 
Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara, and 
has a total area of about 45,000 square miles. The population of these 
southern counties by the census of 1880 was 64,371, and by the census of 
1890 was 201,352, being exactly one-sixth of the population of the entire 
State. The States of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New 
Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont could all be placed 
within the boundaries of Southern California and still leave 1,154 square 
miles to spare. 

OIL AND ASPHALTUM. 

The development of the oil industry dates back some twenty-five 
years, oil at that time being a high pi iced article in any form, and prom¬ 
ising great profit in its production to the promoters who then, or a little 
later, included Senator Stanford, Thos. A. Scott and associates of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad, Senator Felton, Floyd Tevis and others. The 
districts of Ventura county, Pico canon and Puente in Los Angeles 
county, are now permanently producing fields and the prominent ones 
of California. 

A fair estimate of the production for the year 1891 is 350,000 barrels, 
valued at $700,000.00; and the value of the entire production since its 
inception no doubt reaches ten millions of dollars. The development 
of both old and new fields goes on and production is increasing. The 
value of crude oil as fuel is apparent in the city of Los Angeles and 
neighboring towns—though the recent wonderful exhibit by the Union 
Oil Company, of refined oil and products of petroleum,vaseline, avilines, 
printing inks and varnishes, at your Los Angeles county Fair, point to 
the future greater value of the industry from advance in that direction 
than from the fuel-petroleum business. 

The oils found a large market, originally, at San Francisco, and the 
proximity of wells to the sea with pipe lines and oil steamers were an 
important factor in establishing the lower freight charges by rail, which 
now exist, and have in turn stimulated the production and made it 
profitable ’ The sea still exists as a potent regulator of the rates Not¬ 
withstanding the extensive use of oil for fuel, its economy commending 
it and its price having been held steadily and uniformly at one figure 
for years large quantities of coal, as may be seen by port statistics, are 
still imported and the price kept at its ordinary standard by oil as a 
regulator both together acting as an inducement and stimulus to man¬ 
ufacturing industries, now representing a large production and giving 


68 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


employment to labor—which industries would not exist but for the oil 
production. 

The improvement of the harbors of Southern California would no 
doubt affect favorably the production, consumption and cheapness of 
crude petroleum and its refinery products. The probable demand in years 
to come beyond the supply induced, as may be remembered, a company 
in Los Angeles, of which the writer was a member, to look to other 
and foreign oil producing territories for such supply, and the entry upon 
negotiations to that end, including the building of bulk ships for trans¬ 
portation of the oil, one serious obstacle presented itself in the shallow 
depth of available harbors, or the access to them or docks, for heavy 
draft bulk oil vessels. 

ASPHALT. 

The asphalt industry is younger but each year California’s promi¬ 
nence becomes greater as practically the only State whose supply may 
become a competitor in the United States with the foreign article—now 
reaching our shores in amounts of over one hundred thousand tons per 
annum — for paving, roofing, paints, varnish, electric insulation, pipe 
coating, the lining of dams, reservoirs and irrigation canals, etc. 

Asphalt proper takes three forms in its production and in which ship¬ 
ments now find their way to the eastern or foreign markets—first, as a 
refinery product and residuum of California, petroleum standing alone 
practically in respect to its origin, character and quality for the coating 
of iron pipe for water conduits and irrigation, the manufacture of paint, 
printing ink and other kindred uses. Second, as a semi-liquid asphal- 
tum or naptha, used as a flux for the harder asphalts, or reduced to fine 
grades of varnish asphalt. Third, found as a hard deposit in combina¬ 
tion with and having saturated the clay, limestone, gravels and vegetable 
matter, and refined by simple heating and melting which deposits and 
separates the dross existing and leaving an article found equal to any for 
paving and other purposes. The deposits, experts have declared, reach 
tens of thousands of tons in the counties trom San Luis Obispo and 
Kern south. Several thousand tons were shipped last season by sea 
and rail, and the present amount would be largely increased by cheaper 
transportation to eastern and foreign ports. 

Bituminous rock, sometimes classified with asphalt, is chiefly mined 
in San Luis Obispo and Monterey counties, but much used in Southern 
California and finds its way to our cities by sea and the connecting rail 
lines. Whatever cheapening of transportation or handling would be 
effected by harbor improvement would likewise affect favorably bitum¬ 
inous rock and its use for the pavement of cities in mild climates. 

RAILROADS. 

There are now constructed and in operation in Southern California 
more than 1400 miles of railway. In 1882 there were less than 700 
miles. In 1876 the first mile was constructed. 

The East and West traffic of North America has only three outlets 
on the Pacific Coast. One on the Puget Sound country, one at the 
Golden Gate, and the third by Santa Monica, San Pedro or San Diego. 
The lowest mountain passes for the use of trans-continental railway 
lines front directly on Sonthern California, the elevations being from 
4000 to 5000 feet less than by way of the northern routes. 

The next great trans-continental line to the Pacific Coast will be con¬ 
structed from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, connecting at the latter 
city with one of the lines already running to Santa Monica or to San 
Pedro. It only requires the construction of 350 miles of road to close 
the gap now existing between Salt Lake and Los Angeles, and promi¬ 
nent capitalists are now interesting themselves in arranging details for 
the consummation of this project. The completion of this line will 
throw Southern California into close connection with some of the larg- 


REPORT OP HARP OR MEETING. 


69 


est and finest coal and iron ore deposits in the United States, and will 
make the city of Los Angeles and the proposed deep-water harbor the 
natural outlet for thousands of tons of this valuable product. 

1 he Southern Pacific Company’s main line, from San Francisco to 
New Orleans and the East, extends through Southern California 369 
miles; 120 miles from Tehachipi to Los Angeles, and 249 miles from 
Los Angeles to Yuma. At Saugus is a branch, extending through 
Ventura and Santa Barbara counties to El wood, ninety-two miles, where 
there only remains a small gap to be filled to complete the coast line to 
San Francisco, work which will probably be accomplished within a year. 
There are short lines of the Southern Pacific Company from Los 
Angeles to Santa Monica Canon, twenty miles; to San Pedro, twenty- 
two miles, with branch to Long Beach, four n.iles ; to Santa Ana, thirty- 
two ; w r ith branches to Tustin, eleven, and Whittier, six. Total length 
of Southern Pacific lines in Southern California, 475 miles, divided 
among the counties as follows: Santa Barbara, twenty-seven miles; 
Ventura, fifty; San Bernardino, forty-eight; San Diego, 156; Los 
Angeles, 170 ; Orange, twenty-four. 

The Santa F6 system is here known as the Southern California Rail¬ 
way. It connects with the Atlantic & Pacific at Barstow, in San Bernar¬ 
dino County, whence a branch runs to Mojave, on the Southern Pacific, 
north of Los Angeles. 

From Mojave to Needles, on the Co’orado River, is 241 miles; Bar¬ 
stow to National City, 210 miles; Los Angeles to San Bernardino, sixty 
miles ; East Riverside to Orange, forty miles ; Los Angeles to Junction, 
near Oceanside, eighty-three miles. There are short branch lines from 
Perris to San Jacinto, ninteen miles; San Bernardino to Mentone and 
back, known as the small loop of the “kite shaped track,” twenty-five; 
Escondido branch, twenty-one; Los Angeles to Redondo, twenty-two; 
Ballona branch, fifteen. Total length of Southern California Company’s 
system in Southern California, 746 miles. The Santa F6 has just com¬ 
pleted a branch from Inglewood, on the Redondo line, to Santa Monica. 

The Los Angeles Terminal Railway Company, which was incorpo¬ 
rated in Los Angeles a year ago, with a capital stock of $3,000,000, 
several of the stockholders being St. Louis capitalists, is intended as 
the terminus of some transcontinental railway not yet built. Overtures 
have recently been made to the representatives of Eastern roads. * The 
company has acquired the Los Angeles, Pasadena & Glendale line, has 
built a line to Long Beach and San Pedro, and has acquired excellent 
wharf facilities by the purchase of Rattlesnake Island, at the latter place. 
The total length of the company’s lines is about sixty-five miles. 

THE ADVANTAGES OF A DEEP-WATER HARBOR AT LOS ANGELES. 

The port of Los Angeles lies forty-eight hours nearer to Sidney, 
Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane by direct steaming, and forty hours 
nearer via. Honolulu, than San Francisco. It is forty-eight to fifty-four 
hours nearer Colombo, in the Island of Ceylon, whence large cargoes 
of tea are exported to Australia and England. Just at present all our 
teas are imported from Japan and China, but, should a diversion in favor 
of Ceylon ever take place, the saving in interest upon ordinary cargoes 
of tea would amount to $2500 to $3200 per diem, making a saving of 
$5000 at least, in favor of the Los Angeles route on any ordinary cargo. 
Nor is this all. The Santa F£and Southern Pacific routes, both starting 
out of Los Angeles, are at certain times in winter the only roads open 
to the East, owing to detention by snow in the high Sierras on the 
Central, and in the Cascade mountains on the Northern and Union 

Pacific roads. . 

The trade of Australia should seek this port, also, more naturally 
than that of San Francisco, as the port of Los Angeles is at least forty 
hours nearer Australian ports than San Francisco, so long as vessels 


?0 


REPORT OF HARBOR MEETING. 


coming this way are obliged to call at Auckland, Samoa and Honolulu 
for the mails. 

The imports of Australian wool, so valuable in the manufacture of 
carpets and the higher grades of blankets and rugs, have fallen off 
greatly since the McKinley tarriff went into effect, but with a moderate 
tariff, such as prevailed before the civil war, there would be business 
enough for a semi monthly line of steamers ; and even then, much larger 
vessels than are now employed in the traffic, would carry full cargoes of 
this staple for eight months in the >ear. As most of this staple is car¬ 
ried across the continent by rail, the advantage of a port whose com¬ 
munications are never affected by snow, become the more apparent as 
the case is subjected to intelligent scrutiny. 












































































































